Never Again
by theSlytherin022
Summary: Homura Akemi moves on and lives her life, with the vow to honor her beloved's sacrifice. With wraiths and loneliness as her enemies, can Homura really withstand being all alone? Homura X Mami. Rating may change as the story progresses. I don't own Puella Magi Madoka Magica.
1. Prologue

**Author's note: **Hey there! It's me again. I finally got into my writing momentum again and I finally decided to write a multi-chapter story featuring Homura and Mami as the main pairing. Other characters may appear as the story progresses and the rating may change, too. I am also working on my last _Strawberry Panic! _story and I am aiming to have these two updated at the same time as much as possible. For now, I am uploading both the prologue and the first chapter of this story. I hope you enjoy this. Do R&R. I'd really appreciate it. More HomuMami goodness! ^_^

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><p><em>Prologue<em>

"No..."

The hand was pale and motionless, making the black-haired girl cry out louder in despair.

"No... No! This can't be!"

The sky became dark, gray clouds covering the sun.

"No... Not…again! I don't want to lose you..."

"MAMI!"

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><p><em>Six months prior.<em>

"Akemi-san! I'm really sorry for making you wait!"

The raven-haired girl turned around and saw a blonde girl with twin curls fastened by a pair of floral hairclips approaching her.

"It's okay. I just got here."

"Well, then." Tomoe Mami panted for breath. She seemed tired with all that running. "Shall we go?"

Akemi Homura simply nodded and started to walk. This kind of thing didn't use to happen every day. It rather started quite unexpectedly: Homura and Mami saw each other one time outside the school building. They had a little chat first about what happened at school. At first, the raven-haired girl found it a bit uncomfortable to talk to Mami. Her shy and introverted nature was to blame for it. The blonde girl was kind of insistent, however—pointing out that it wasn't wrong to have company every once in a while. Homura didn't find it wrong, so she finally allowed herself to talk to the older girl and walk home together. Normally, the raven-haired girl would go home immediately since she didn't belong to any school clubs. Ever since that one time, Homura made it a habit of waiting by the school gate. Mami would usually arrive within five minutes. The waiting time wasn't really long, but Homura would use that few minutes in skimming through her notes.

And so school ended quite normally, the two of them can be seen walking together down the street. Mami stared at the afternoon sky and tried starting small talk with the quiet girl.

"How did your exams go?" Mami asked cheerfully.

"Ah, the usual." Came Homura's short reply.

"You were reading through your notes earlier." Homura didn't expect that Mami would notice that.

"We still have another round of exams for tomorrow." The raven-haired girl mumbled.

"I see." Mami smiled. "No wonder you're the best student among eighth graders."

The remark made Homura blush. She'd normally hear this kind of thing from her classmates or teachers. It was her first time to hear something like this from her senior. "That's…not true at all."

"But you are, Akemi-san." Mami tapped the younger girl's shoulder. "I can see you're working so hard."

Homura kept herself silent and made no comment at that. They continued walking until they reached the apartment complex where Mami's unit was located. The blonde girl stopped by main door and pulled off a grateful smile to Homura.

"Thank you for walking with me again, Akemi-san."

"Don't mention it." Homura said in return. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Take care." Mami waved a hand to bid her goodbye. "Don't stay up too late, okay?"

Homura's eyes widened as she heard those words. She turned her head only to see Mami entering the apartment complex. Deep inside her, Homura felt something strange. For some reason, she couldn't understand what that feeling was. She found herself—smiling as she heard those words play in her mind all over again.


	2. Ein: You Know You Can Rely On Me

**Author's note:** Like I promised, here's the first chapter of this story. I hope I am able to make it a good start, since writer's block remained in my system for quite a while. Do R&R as well. I'll really appreciate it. Thanks!

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><p><em>Ein<em>

It was a cloudy Saturday afternoon. Though still a bit exhausted from fighting the wraiths the night before, Mami somehow managed to squeeze-in her normal routine. Finished with cleaning up her apartment unit, she decided that it was time to do some grocery shopping. Noticing that her cupboard was becoming more spacious and the food in her fridge wouldn't seem to last for another week, Mami smiled as she fixed her hairclips.

_It's grocery shopping time!_

The blonde girl briefly glanced at the window and noticed the thick clouds covering the sky. _I might as well bring an umbrella._ She said to herself. She took the yellow umbrella behind the door and walked out. The door closed, with a firm click to prove that it has been locked.

The grocery store wasn't too far away from Mami's place. She settled for a small cart to put her groceries in as she did her shopping. Since she lived alone, it would be impractical to buy a lot of stuff. Sure, Kyoko would come to Mami's place once in a while and eat food, but that instance would usually happen if ever she'd step into Mitakihara territory during a battle with the wraiths. She was still the Magical Girl in Kasamino after all. And she made it clear to both Homura and Mami that she'd guard that city no matter what. It was at least her own way of protecting the place she and her family used to live in once. Homura had only been into her place for a few times. Mami would invite her for cake and tea after fighting the demons together. Their team-up was somewhat good. Homura's good planning and Mami's graceful fighting style seemed to work hand-in hand. Homura's aloof personality was still somehow a hindrance to their team-up. At least, that's what Mami had observed.

_It'd be great if the two of us become friends rather than just professional comrades._ Mami found herself sighing at the thought.

She finished her grocery shopping after several minutes. With the use of her magic, Mami discreetly transformed her golden ribbons into a strong bag that held all of her groceries in. Rain started to fall as she stepped out of the door.

_Oh, great. Why in all times?_ Mami sighed. The rain wasn't really strong, but it left a few people stranded and taking shelter inside the grocery store. Good thing she decided to bring an umbrella. She could still get home without a problem.

As she walked down the street, Mami saw pedestrians running to take shelter to whatever place they could find. Her attention got nailed to a girl putting a dark green jacket over her head.

_Isn't that Akemi-san?_

It was Homura alright. Mami knew it because of that red ribbon on the said girl's head.

"Akemi-san!"

Homura's eyes widened as she heard the familiar voice. Turning her head from one side to the other, she tried finding where the voice came from. To her surprise, she noticed a shadow of an umbrella on the ground and saw the blonde girl as she turned her head.

"You shouldn't be walking out in the rain without an umbrella." Mami said with a chuckle and winked her eye.

Homura closed her eyes and nodded in agreement. She noticed the yellow bag Mami was holding and recognized it immediately as her golden ribbons. _Her magic sure does come in handy, s_he thought.

"Where have you been?" The blonde girl finally asked.

"The bookstore." Homura replied and showed her the book wrapped in a paper bag.

"You can put that here." Mami offered. She opened the yellow bag and made some space for the book to fit inside.

"T-thank you."

"It's fine." Mami's tone was cheerful as always. They both looked up and noticed the sky was getting darker. The rain poured down harder, too. Mami pulled the younger girl close to her. The sudden action caused Homura to yelp in surprise.

"You'll get pretty soaked if you won't take cover." Mami narrowed her eyes as she stared at the darkened sky once more. "It looks like the rain won't be stopping anytime soon. Care to have tea with me at my place?"

Homura wasn't sure if she'd accept the other girl's offer. "Well…I—"

"Let's get going. We'll still get wet in the rain if we stay here." Mami held Homura by the hand and led the way. Homura sighed quietly as she was dragged by the blonde girl. They ended up running anyway, as the rain poured down hard. The two of them somehow got their clothes wet. Fortunately, they got into the apartment complex after just a few minutes. Mami slipped the key into the knob and slightly turned it. She turned the lights on as she stepped into her apartment. Homura noticed the newly polished wooden floor so she tried removing the dirt from her shoes using the doormat. Mami saw this and shook her head.

"It's okay. Don't worry about the floor. I can always clean that up."

"Umm…"

"Come on in. You'll catch a cold if you remain in those clothes." Mami rushed into her bedroom and came out after a few seconds with a pink robe and white towel in her hands.

"You can use the shower room over there." The blonde girl said as she pointed at the door near the staircase.

"But what about you, Tomoe-san?"

"I can use the one in my bedroom." Mami winked an eye at her. "I'll have something ready for you wear."

"O-okay." The raven-haired girl murmured. She noticed that Mami's bra can be seen through her wet blouse, causing her to turn her head away. Homura somewhat felt warmth on her cheeks. Mami suddenly pushed the younger girl towards the shower room. "Get going, Akemi-san."

"Uh…right…" Homura opened the door and stepped in.

"I'll be right back." Mami called out as she ran up the stairs and went straight to her bedroom.

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><p>After several minutes, Mami came back down, already in a loose orange shirt and a pair of denim shorts. She knocked onto the shower room's door and called out to Homura, who was still inside.<p>

"Akemi-san?"

"Y-yes?" Homura's voice sounded like she was surprised.

"I've got something for you to wear. You can just get them here." Mami answered. The blonde girl left the clothes near the washer, which was just outside the shower room.

"T-thank you." Came Homura's meek reply.

"You're welcome. I'll go ahead and make tea." Said Mami in a cheerful tone.

"O-okay." Homura said as she peeped from the shower room…only to find out that Mami had already left for the kitchen. The raven-haired girl looked around for a few seconds and saw the clothes Mami had gotten for her. She took them from the washer and went back inside the shower room.

While waiting for the water to boil, Mami went ahead and wiped the floor clean using a dry rag. As she sprayed liquid soap on the floor, Mami thought of having Homura try the blueberry cheesecake she made earlier that day. Before she went shopping, Mami thought of trying to make the said cake based from the recipe she saw from a magazine. Mami smiled along as she wiped the floor again with a wet rag to clean the liquid soap off. _I hope Akemi-san likes it. _The blonde girl giggled to herself as she finished wiping the floor dry.

Mami's apartment unit had a back door that leads to an open space where she can hang fabrics to dry. She went there to hang the rags she just washed. As she came back inside, she heard the whistling sound of the kettle and it was getting louder. She turned the stove off and washed her hands. She prepared the porcelain cups and the jar containing tea leaves. Mami has always been good in preparing tea and preferred to brew it from leaves. It's more natural, the scent is more alluring and relaxing to the senses.

Homura, on the other hand, came out after a few minutes, and observed that the blouse felt comfortable. It was a little big for her, though. It was quite obvious, anyway. Though they may appear to have the same height, Mami's figure appeared more womanly, compared to Homura who had a much slender physique. Mami peeped from the kitchen and smiled at Homura, who was already dressed up.

"Oh, about your clothes, you can put them in the laundry basket."

Homura nodded simply as she put her dark green jacket and the rest of her clothes in the basket.

"I'll include them in the laundry so you don't need to worry." Mami said as she came out with a tray in her hands.

"T-that…won't be necessary." Homura stuttered at her words.

"It's fine. I don't mind doing that." The blonde girl put the tray down on the glass table. "There's cheesecake in the fridge. Would you like some?"

"Umm…sure." Homura answered plainly.

"Okay. I'll get some for the two of us." The older girl handed over a small cushion to use for sitting down on the floor. "Make yourself at home, Akemi-san."

"T-thank you." Homura finally sat herself down, both hands on her lap and watched Mami as she went to the fridge to get the cheesecake she was talking about. The raven-haired girl remained silent as she waited. She saw her own reflection on the glass table; her eyes stared particularly at the red ribbon on her head. To her surprise, she saw Mami's reflection on the glass table. The blonde girl was already behind her.

"The ribbon really looks good on you." Came the older girl's praise.

The younger woman remained silent at that. Mami sat beside her as she poured tea for her cup and Homura's. The blonde girl noticed Homura's silence. Her head was bowed down, too, and seemed quite occupied.

"Here." Mami handed the cup of tea to her visitor. The scent of the tea was quite calming. Homura held the cup and felt its warmth.

"Thank you, Tomoe-san." Homura whispered quite shyly.

"You're welcome." Mami's tone was cheerful as always.

"So," Mami tried starting up a conversation. "What did you get from the bookstore?"

"A study guide for Math." Homura answered plainly.

"So, even good students need study guides." Mami said jokingly and continued sipping from her tea cup.

"I never said I was good in Math." Homura pouted. Mami giggled as she found this really cute.

"What's so funny?" The raven-haired girl frowned and turned away, seemingly trying to hide her embarrassment.

"I didn't mean that, Akemi-san." Mami picked up her fork and cut into her slice of cake. "You're just…adorable!"

Homura felt sudden warmth on her cheeks. The way Mami said that with much affection made the younger girl feel something strange, a fluttering feeling in her chest. She tried covering her face with the cup as she drank her tea, which Mami noticed.

"I'm sorry. I must have said something offensive." The older girl sounded contrite.

Homura put her cup down and shook her head. "I-it's fine. I…I'm just…not used to hearing such things."

"But I'm surprised to see your adorable side, Akemi-san." Mami giggled a little as she held another piece of cake in the air. "I'm quite used to your serious façade when we get to fight the wraiths together."

_She's right. As I kept leaping back through time, I became so indifferent…putting up a cold front to others to truly hide what I once was…a fragile, ill and meek girl who almost lost hope._ Homura thought sadly. The blonde girl sensed the loneliness on Homura's face, so, she came close and sat beside her, with a hand tapping her shoulder.

"We all have our own reasons why we are who we are now." Mami said softly, her hand still tapping the younger girl's shoulder. "That doesn't mean we shouldn't get out of our comfort zone."

Homura looked up and gazed into Mami's yellow eyes.

"I'm glad I'm able to see a different side of you today. It makes me feel relieved that you somehow trust me."

"We're a team…" Homura murmured. "Isn't…that…what partners do?"

"That's true," replied Mami, a weak smile was on her face. "We're not just mere comrades in battle. We're also friends, right?"

_Friends?_ That was something Homura never thought of. All she thought about was having a combat partner against the wraiths, which she had already found in Tomoe Mami. Her abilities were something that Homura took into consideration and Mami herself was willing to team up so it wasn't hard for the two of them to get along. The past few days, Homura and Mami would walk home together. _It's natural, we're partners after all._ Homura mused. Somehow though, she couldn't help but smile—remembering how the older girl would try starting up small talk, or even just asking how her day was. The younger girl wasn't expecting something like this at all. She always thought of their partnership as a professional thing, never having personal touch mostly on her part.

But here she was now, having tea and cake with someone she'd always consider as a _mere_ partner in combat. The two of them were silent for a few seconds—that is until Homura finally decided to break it.

"Are…you...?"

Mami cut her off. "Of course. You know you can rely on me. That's what friends are to each other."

Homura smiled weakly at this, She must admit, the older girl's kindness was something she couldn't help but admire.

"I…will…try, Tomoe-san."

"And one more thing," Mami suddenly remembered. "I don't want my friend to be addressing me with formalities. Just call me Mami, okay?"

Homura frowned for a bit. "It'll…be…hard to get used to, but I'll work on it, To—I mean…Mami."

Mami chuckled and rustled Homura's hair a bit. "It's fine. I know you'll work on it. Is it okay if I call you Homura?"

Homura turned her away…somewhat. "I…really don't get called by my name that much. It's…kind of a weird name." Somehow, the shyness she once had suddenly returned when she said this.

Mami smirked. "You're still being shy around me, Homura. But I understand that. I know you'll work on it…and you know I'm always here to help you, okay?"

Homura nodded simply, with a faint smile on her face. "Yeah."

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><p><em>I really had fun writing this chapter, having Homura blush like that makes her a total tsundere! <em>


	3. Zwei: I'm Here For You

**Author's note:** I'm baaack! Here's the second chapter for this Homu X Mami fic. I apologize if this chapter's quite short and the lack of other characters. Kyoko will be appearing in the next chapter moving forward. For now, I am uploading this, and I hope you all enjoy. Please don't forget to R&R. Thanks!

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><p><em>Zwei<em>

Mami's yellow eyes narrowed as she stared from her glass window.

"Oh, my. It seems the rain doesn't have any plans of stopping." The blonde girl sighed as she looked at the clock. It was past six o'clock and the downpour was getting stronger. Mami also noticed the room was getting a little cold.

"I'll go and make dinner. Is udon okay with you?" Mami asked. Homura looked up to respond. "Yes, that seems fine."

"Okay then. Udon it is." The blonde girl said gleefully.

"Let me help." Homura closed the book she was reading.

"Homura, you're my guest." Mami protested. "It would be impolite of me to have my guest help me with the cooking. Just relax and make yourself comfortable while you wait."

The raven-haired girl didn't object, so she sat back down and opened her book again. Homura felt cold as the rain poured harder. She unknowingly reached a hand to her side, only to realize that her jacket was in the laundry basket along with her wet clothes. The dark-haired girl suddenly heard a beeping sound and saw Mami peeping from the kitchen with the remote in her hand.

"I thought you might be feeling cold so I turned the heater up a bit."

Homura smiled weakly and continued reading. The smell of the steamed prawn somewhat awakened her senses. She only remembered a few timelines when Mami cooked food for her, even for all of them. She remembered that timeline when the blonde girl cooked pasta for them after chasing a ghost-like familiar that turned out to be a cat. Homura smiled inwardly as she recalled this. All of them seemed to have gotten along…and Madoka…

_…Madoka was with me…_ Homura found herself closing her eyes and felt tears welling up. She covered her face with the book and wiped the tears with the back of her hand. Just as she finished doing this, Mami called out.

"Homura, do you want pudding for dessert?"

The raven-haired girl quickly regained her composure and responded. "Umm…sure."

"Okay!"

Mami came out after a minute or two, with a tray in her hands. As she put the tray down on the table, she noticed the faint tear marks on Homura's cheeks. Mami immediately felt concerned, but she decided to shrug it off for the meantime and served food for her raven-haired friend.

"Here." The blonde girl put the bowl in front of Homura. The raven-haired girl gently thanked her as she picked up the chopsticks.

They spent time eating their meal in silence. Mami would secretly glance at Homura, still noticing the faint tear marks on the younger girl's cheeks. She couldn't help but feel concerned for the younger girl. _Was Homura crying earlier? _The older girl wanted to know at least, but she couldn't find a way to bring it up. Mami had always known Homura for being a quiet and stoic girl. She would only talk if the topic was about battling the wraiths. The blonde girl sighed inwardly as she thought of how she can have Homura to at least open up to her. Traces of sadness could be seen in Homura's purple orbs, and this didn't escape Mami's observant eyes.

They finished their meal after several minutes. Homura bowed her head and gently thanked Mami for the dinner they shared together.

"Thanks…for the meal."

"You're welcome. I'm glad I got to have dinner with you."

Homura gazed at the window and saw the heavy downpour outside. _The raindrops are like tears, and the sky is also weeping, just like me… _The younger girl closed her eyes as she thought.

"I'll just take care of the dishes, Homu—" To her surprise, Mami saw Homura covering her face with her hands as she quietly sobbed.

"Homura? What's wrong?" Mami came close and shook the younger girl. The raven-haired girl kept sobbing as she gazed onto Mami's yellow eyes. There was so much concern in Mami's eyes and this caused Homura to break down even more. The blonde girl held her close, wrapping her arms around Homura and whispered soothing words to her.

"Shhh…it's okay. I'm here for you. It's okay…"

The older girl held Homura closer to her, her hand instinctively rubbed the younger girl's back to calm her down. Homura didn't push Mami away and just continued sobbing. The tears were obviously staining Mami's shirt, which the older girl didn't mind. They stayed like that for a few moments, until Mami noticed that Homura fell asleep in her arms. The blonde girl carried her and gently laid her down on the sofa. She covered her raven-haired friend's form with a warm blanket and left for the kitchen, remembering she had not washed the dishes yet.

When she finished, she came back to the living room and checked on Homura, who was still sleeping on the couch. Her face seemed peaceful as she slept, which made Mami smile. The older girl felt quite sad, as she somehow wanted to be let in to Homura's heart, to at least become someone whom she could confide in. But she knew the fact that someone else was in Homura's heart. She was aware of that person that Homura would call onto—that certain someone…

_Madoka._

She had heard Madoka's story from Homura for a few times. The older girl remembered Homura telling her that the ribbon she always used as a headband was the only memory that this Madoka left her.

"I always feel she's with me." Homura said as she touched the ribbon on her head. Mami would smile faintly as Homura ended her story with that gesture.

_What can I do, Homura? Do I even have a chance to be let in to your heart?_ The blonde girl sighed as she sat down and took a sip from her tea cup.

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><p><em>Mami-san is just...kawaii! <em>:)


	4. Drei: We're A Team, Remember?

**Author's note:** I'm back again...continuing the story from where we left off. I'm really sorry about the chapters being really short and some incoherence. Writer's block is just a hard enemy to deal with these days. It's also kinda hard, having really great thoughts in your mind, but when you start to write it down, they don't seem to turn out the way they are when they're in your thoughts. Oh, well, here's the 3rd chapter. Do R&R. I'd really appreciate it.

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><p><em>Drei<em>

"Madoka…" Her faint voice called out.

The dark-haired girl opened her eyes and found herself laid down on a rocky surface. There was barely any light, and the ground felt cold to the touch.

_This place…? _Homura stood up and walked a few steps until a white-haired little girl caught her attention. The little girl was somewhat staring at Homura, with a smile on her lips and a hopeful shine on her golden eyes.

"Why are you out here?" Homura asked as she came close to the younger girl.

"You're her most precious person…" was the little girl's answer.

_Her?_ Homura couldn't understand.

"I can't believe I'm seeing Hope's most beloved right here." The little girl reached out to hold Homura's hand.

"You mean…Madoka?" The raven-haired girl's eyes widened. The little girl stared at her with so much innocence and finally spoke. "She'd always smile when she watches you."

"Who are you?" Homura's eyes were on the verge of tears.

"I am Bebe." The little girl replied. "That's what everyone calls me. I am the eyes that watch over everyone together with her."

"Are you always watching everyone with Madoka?" Homura gazed onto the younger girl's eyes. The little girl nodded simply.

"I am glad to see you, Hope's most precious person."

"Wait!" The raven-haired girl held onto Bebe's hand. "Madoka… Please, let me see Madoka."

"The proper time will come." Bebe answered. A shining white light enveloped the horizon. A hand reached out and touched Bebe, leaving Homura stunned.

"Madoka!" Homura tried to reach out her hand, but the light was too overwhelming. Her eyes witnessed how Bebe soon blended with the light.

"Madoka!"

Homura woke up, her hands were shaking and tears were flowing down her cheeks. She soon realized she was still in Mami's apartment. The blonde girl stared at her; the concern was obviously painted on her yellow orbs.

"Homura…" The blonde girl felt herself crying as she tried holding the younger girl close to her.

The raven-haired girl didn't say anything. Mami had a feeling of what Homura was dreaming about. Mami heard her friend call out Madoka's name while she was asleep. She remembered the feeling of anguish that was visible on Homura's face.

"I'm sorry." Homura kept her head bowed. She tried wiping her tears with her hands, but Mami handed a yellow handkerchief over.

"It's fine." Mami said as she helped wiping the tears from Homura's face with the handkerchief. It had sunflower patterns and little yellow butterflies. Remembering how Homura's face looked like during her sleep, Mami couldn't help but ask, "Do you want to talk about it?"

Homura remained silent as she returned the handkerchief to Mami. The older girl nodded simply and whispered, "I understand. If ever you feel like talking about it, you know I'm always here."

The blonde girl suddenly held Homura's hand as she gave the hanky back. "You can keep it."

The raven-haired girl's cheeks blushed as she felt the warmth of Mami's hand. The blonde girl turned her head and noticed that the rain finally came to a stop. Homura stood up and noticed the time on the clock. _It's gotten quite late._

"I need to get going." Homura said as she smoothen her blouse.

"You're going out this late?" Mami asked.

"I have things to take care of." The black-haired girl answered plainly. As she looked at her reflection on the glass window, she realized that she was indeed, wearing Mami's clothing. Their soul gems suddenly glowed, sensing that wraiths were nearby.

"I bet the miasma's quite thick outside." Mami's eyes squinted.

"I'll take care of them." Homura said as purple light wrapped her body, transforming into her magical girl outfit. Mami followed suit and changed into her magical girl form.

"Homura," Mami put a hand on her shoulder. "We're a team, remember? We'll take care of this."

The dark-haired girl let out a weak smile. "Sorry, I'll keep that in mind."

Mami giggled softly as she reached out to hold Homura's hand. "Shall we?" Homura simply nodded as they walked out to the porch. The dark-haired girl held on to Mami's hand as she spread her angelic wings. The blonde girl grasped the hand tighter as they took off.

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><p>A red-haired girl leapt from one skyscraper to the other to chase down a good number of wraiths heading towards Mitakihara.<p>

_Damn them! Some weird trick they have._ Kyoko's spear enlarged as she leapt to another skyscraper. To her surprise, a wraith's hand came crashing onto the skyscraper where Kyoko was at. The redhead got her leg hit by a large rock, making her lose balance and fall. She could feel the blood oozing from her leg as she hit the ground. She opened her eyes, her vision continued to blur as the wraiths combined themselves into one, and it was getting closer, ready to feast on Kyoko's soul.

_So this it, huh?_ Kyoko laughed inwardly. She could feel blood dripping from the wound on her forehead. _Will I see you over there…? Sayaka…?_

A loud explosive sound made its way to Kyoko's ears, her crimson eyes widened as she saw two figures standing in front of her. Kyoko laughed shakily as Homura and Mami turned their heads to face her.

_Geez. You guys would just show up out of nowhere._

"Sakura-san!" Mami came close and put her hand over Kyoko's forehead. Golden light shined over Mami's hand as she tried to heal the wounded redhead.

"I'll go collect the grief cubes." Homura said as she spread her wings.

"Please do, Homura." Mami said as she removed Kyoko's boot, readying herself to heal the injured leg.

"You think you can hang on for a little bit?"

"I think…I…could…" Kyoko stammered, almost choking as her leg stung in pain.

"I'll try collecting them as fast I can." The dark-haired girl said before she took off.

"Sorry about this, Mami." Kyoko sounded apologetic. "I kinda let my guard down and before I knew it, they started heading here."

"It's alright, Sakura-san." Mami said as she finished healing Kyoko's injured leg. "Just hang on for a little bit longer. Homura will be back soon."

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><p>Homura flew around and picked up every grief cube she could find. She found most grief cubes on the ground while others were found at nearby skyscrapers. She landed on her foot; her magical girl outfit reverted back to the clothes she was wearing earlier on. It seemed like she gathered much grief cubes needed to cleanse three soul gems. Homura took a step and started running, realizing that Kyoko might not be able to hang on much longer.<p>

Mami's eyes brightened as she saw Homura fast approaching. The dark-haired girl soon hands over some grief cubes to use on Kyoko's soul gem. Tapping one cube at a time, Kyoko's soul gem gradually restored its luster, soon making Mami sigh in relief. Homura was done cleansing her own soul gem, and noticed that Mami's had not been cleansed. She approached the blonde girl and held her hand. Homura tapped grief cubes on the older girl's soul gem to cleanse it.

"Thank you."

"It looks like we're even." Homura said casually. Mami's cheeks earned a shade of red, which Kyoko noticed.

"Ooooh, what's this?"

Homura turned away as she heard this. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Hoho, so even the stoic Akemi girl feels embarrassment, huh?" Kyoko said as she reverted back to her usual outfit, the green hoodie and denim shorts.

"Shut up." Homura said without looking.

"You know what, I'm hungry." Kyoko blurted out.

"How very likely." Homura murmured.

"Then how about some cookies and tea over at my place?" Mami said with excitement.

"Yeah!" Kyoko exclaimed. Homura smiled faintly at this, while Mami giggled and rustled Kyoko's hair. The three of them walked together back to Mami's place.

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><p><em>Yay! Kyoko finally appeared at last and so is Bebe (Nagisa Momoe). You will see more of Kyoko and Nagisa in future chapters.<em> :)


	5. Vier: I Think All The Time

**Author's note: **I am back. It's been a while since I posted an update to this story. The story's pace is quite slow, I must admit. But this is something I really have in mind. Writer's block is really taking a toll on me, but I will do my very best to get by. Anyways, here's the latest chapter. Do R&R. I'd really appreciate it.

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><p><em>Vier<em>

"Awesome cookies, Mami!" Kyoko munched on a chocolate chip cookie.

"Why, thank you." The blonde girl said gracefully. "I hope the chocolate chip toppings aren't too sweet."

Homura ate her cookie silently, watching the redhead stuff her face with more of the cookies Mami prepared for them that night. It's been quite a while since the three of them got together. The last time they were seen together was roughly two months after Miki Sayaka disappeared, guided by the Law of the Cycle, which happened to be Kaname Madoka herself. It felt so strange, coming back to this rewritten world with no one around her remembering the existence once known as Kaname Madoka. But for Homura, those memories of Madoka were real, and those were things she'll never forget.

Kyoko was obviously talking about something, of which Homura couldn't really hear. Mami, on the other hand, stared at Homura and noticed her silence. Concern was obviously painted on Mami's face, which the redheaded girl noticed as well.

"Hey, Akemi."

Homura lifted her head and spoke. "What is it?"

"You're quite spaced out." Kyoko said as she bit a large chunk from her cookie. "Don't tell me you're daydreaming again."

Homura said nothing at that, and her head bowed. _I suppose I am._

Mami continued staring at the younger girl with a concerned expression on her face. She was pretty sure that Homura had something deep in her mind.

* * *

><p>"Ah, that was good!" The red-haired girl patted her stomach.<p>

"You sure ate a lot." Mami giggled a little as she gathered the glassware.

"Well, Akemi didn't eat that many," Kyoko pouted. "And it would be a sin to waste such delicious food so I made sure there aren't any leftovers."

Mami continued giggling at this. Homura stood up and offered to help the blonde girl with the dishes.

"Let me help."

"It's okay, Homura. I'll take care of this." Mami moved the tray away from the black-haired girl. "You've given us more than enough help earlier, remember?"

The dark-haired girl didn't respond. Homura turned her head and saw Kyoko stretching her left leg and was looking at it.

"Mami sure did a good job." Kyoko said as she ran her fingers to the faint scar the wound left. "I really need sleep, big time."

As she saw Kyoko yawning and stretching her arms, Homura could also feel her body wanting to retire. Despite being a magical girl, her body would still feel fatigued. Though it seemed like long ago, Homura still remembered how sickly of a girl she was. She sat down on the couch and rested herself, her body relaxed as she leaned her back on the soft cushion. Mami returned to the living room and stared at the glass window.

"It's gotten really late. You two should stay here for the night."

"Sure." Kyoko smirked. "I should be fine here in the living room."

"Same with me." Homura mumbled.

"No one's sleeping here in the living room." Mami's eyebrows furrowed slightly. "My bed's big enough for two people. I'll have a futon laid on the floor for the third person so we can all sleep there."

"You go ahead, Akemi." Kyoko smiled wryly.

"Eh?" Homura's violet eyes widened.

"It's okay. I'll stay here. I'll be the house's watchdog for the night." Kyoko said as she pushed Homura off the couch. "Besides, you really seem tired."

"Sakura-san?"

"It's fine, Mami." Kyoko insisted. "I'm okay here."

_"It's Akemi I'm more worried about. She seems to be spacing out a lot." _Kyoko said, using telepathy.

Mami stared at Kyoko in surprise. "_You noticed it too, huh?"_

_"Yeah. Since you work with her, you know her better more than I do. It's best if she hangs around with you."_ Kyoko grabbed the cushions and rested her back on them. _Is that really so? _Mami doubted herself a little.

_"Get going. We all need sleep you know."_ Kyoko yawned as she covered her eyes with her arm.

"Let's go, Homura." Mami took the raven-haired girl by the hand. Homura didn't have time to say anything as she was dragged by Mami towards her bedroom.

* * *

><p>Homura looked at herself in the mirror and observed the clothing she was on. It was a plain purple nightdress and it fit her quite well. Mami came out of the shower room a few minutes later.<p>

"I'm glad it fits you well." Mami said as she secured the bathrobe wrapping her body.

"T-thank you." The black-haired girl stammered. Mami sat on the bed and removed the towel on her head, letting her blonde mane down. Homura noticed that her twin curls weren't as noticeable. She always wondered how Mami would tie up her hair like that. The blonde girl soon discarded her robe, revealing her smooth back. Homura quickly turned away as she saw this and waited for the older girl to get dressed. Somehow, though, Homura made secret glances and noticed how womanly Mami's body really was. Mami's back was smooth and her hips were indeed, very curvy. Homura closed her eyes and shook that thought off, though she could feel her cheeks warming up.

"It's okay. I'm done." Mami said as she grabbed the hair dryer from her bedside drawer. She was dressed in a white nightgown which Homura found very appealing. She never thought of the blonde girl's taste in clothing being that good. After a few minutes, Mami finished up drying her hair and laid herself down on the bed. Homura remained seated, not looking at the older girl.

"You okay?" Mami's voice was gentle.

Homura nodded, still not facing Mami.

"It's okay. You don't need to be shy around me." Mami smiled as she shifted to make room for Homura. The younger girl finally gave in and laid herself down. She couldn't understand what she was feeling at that moment. She felt shy and nervous around the blonde girl for some reason. Homura faced the opposite direction and covered herself with the blanket. Mami smiled as she found it quite fascinating…seeing the shy side of the stoic girl she had been teammates with.

"What is it?" Homura asked, still not looking at the older girl. "Why are you…looking at me?"

"You seem to be in deep thought." Mami replied.

"Well, I think all the time." Homura whispered.

"What are you thinking about, Homura?" Mami asked curiously.

Homura didn't answer and kept her eyes closed. _It isn't what. It's who. _

"I understand." Mami pulled off a sad expression and stared at the ceiling. "I didn't mean to be nosey. I'm really sorry."

"It's fine." Homura said softly. "We should sleep now."

"You're right." Mami let out a faint smile. "Good night, Homura."

"Good night." Homura greeted her back, the voice still monotonous.

* * *

><p><em>The succeeding chapters will be interesting. I hope you stay tuned until then.<em> :)


	6. Fünf: What Was That All About?

**Author's note:** Aaaaaaand I'm back. It's been a while since I made an update. I never thought that this chapter would turn out the way it is. And I'm also sorry if this chapter's quite short. Hopefully make up with the succeeding ones. Do R&R. Enjoy!

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><p><em>Fünf<em>

"No…"

She kept saying this, her vision already blurred by tears. An image of a certain someone slowly faded away and blended with the cosmos.

"Madoka!" Homura called out over and over as the image continued to fade. She felt so grief-stricken and fell on her knees.

"Madoka…" The black-haired girl covered her face with both hands.

"I've failed…to…protect you…" She said in between sobs. "I'm…a failure."

Images of Madoka dying or becoming a witch started playing in a loop. The pink-haired girl's cries of anguish and pain caused Homura's gut to churn. Whimpers filled the bedroom and that caused Mami to awaken.

Homura threw her head from one side to the other and her body thrashed helplessly. The blonde girl couldn't stand seeing the agony painted on Homura's face. Mami tried calming her down by giving her a hug. Somehow, it worked. Homura calmed down and Mami felt relieved when her breathing relaxed. She suddenly felt warmth in her chest while holding the younger girl close to her.

_So fragile._ The first thought in Mami's mind. The girl in her arms felt so fragile.

Mami slowly released Homura from the hug and tried going back to sleep.

A few moments later, Homura started jerking about in her sleep. The younger girl breathed heavily and sweat dripped down her forehead. Mami tried calming her down but to no avail. She was completely at lost and didn't know what else to do.

The looping images of Madoka's death from different timelines overwhelmed Homura too much and it caused her to scream. Her body trembled, still feeling the aftershock of the nightmare. As her eyes caught the sight of the ceiling, she felt tears brimming from them. She obviously tried her hardest not to cry, but it was hard…for she kept hearing the faint sound of Madoka screaming in pain. She looked to her right, only to see a worried Mami staring at her.

"T-Tomoe…san…?"

To her surprise, the older girl found herself locked in an embrace. It caught Mami off-guard, but she soon cradled her friend in return. Homura cried really hard, the tears were overflowing from her eyes. Mami's hand somewhat rubbed the other girl's back to calm her down. Kyoko could be seen outside the room, near the door. The red-haired girl was obviously disturbed, having heard that scream. Mami gave Kyoko a nod, reassuring her that the situation was under control. Kyoko closed the door and the sound of footsteps faded away.

"Please…" A soft plea escaped Homura's lips. "…don't…leave…me…please…"

"Shhh, it's okay. I'll be right here…" Mami whispered as she tried putting Homura back to sleep. The warmth of Mami's embrace felt soothing. Her eyes soon closed and she slowly drifted off to sleep. Mami remained by her side that night and eventually fell asleep while watching over her.

Mami awakened, feeling the warm sunlight on her cheeks. She looked to her side and saw the sleeping raven-haired girl. Homura seemed at peace while she slept and this sight made the older girl smile. Mami slightly moved the pillow and rested Homura's head on it. The movement caused the younger girl to whimper. Mami quickly brushed her hand away as she thought Homura got disturbed. But surprisingly, the younger girl was still fast asleep.

_She looks peaceful. How cute. _Mami giggled inwardly as she thought. She got off from bed, fixed herself and went downstairs.

"Mornin', Mami."

"Good morning." Mami greeted the redhead gleefully. "I'll go and get breakfast ready, just please bear with me."

"Woohoo!" Kyoko exclaimed. "Watcha makin'?"

"Just something simple," replied Mami. "How does toast with bacon and egg sound?"

"That'd be really great!" Kyoko followed Mami to the kitchen. "Need help?"

"Hmm, you can probably have some butter put on the bread first." Mami handed over the bread and butter to her red-haired friend. "Just get the bread knife over there. Once you're done, you can toast by two's and make sure they aren't too dark."

"Alrighty!"

"I'll take care of the rest." Mami said as she started frying bacon strips in the pan.

"Wow, smells really good!"

"You're excited about food as always." Mami said with a chuckle.

"Hey, Mami." Kyoko already finished putting butter on the first pair.

"Yes?" The blonde girl continued with her work.

"What happened last night?" Kyoko closed the lid of the toaster. "I heard Akemi scream. What was that all about?"

"Oh, that…" Mami carefully tossed the bacon strips to let the other side cook. "She…had a pretty bad dream…" The blonde girl's mood suddenly changed, remembering how pained Homura looked as she was having that dream. _It must be something so awful._ Mami felt quite worried at the thought.

"Any idea?" Kyoko had the first pair on a plate.

"I'm not really sure." Mami had another pan put on the stove to fry the eggs. "Oh, sunny side-up or down?"

"Either way's fine." Kyoko answered. "But, seriously. Ever since…you know…that happened, Akemi seems like she's always spaced out."

"Yeah..." Mami set the stove to low heat to make sure the bacon strips didn't get burned. "Do you think…?"

"Do I think what?"

"Do you think it has something to do with that 'Madoka' person?"

"Oh, you mean her imaginary friend?" Kyoko got the second pair of toast on a plate. "Do you even believe that story, Mami?"

"W-well…" Mami had a second thought.

"I mean, what gives?" Kyoko laughed. "Magical girls turn into witch-like beings when they fall into despair? Her imagination must be wild."

Mami was just silent.

"For all we know, we disappear from this world once we fall into despair. That's what you said, right? We'll be guided by the Law of the Cycle one day once all of our magic is drained." Kyoko tapped her feet on the floor while waiting for the last one to be finished.

"But you do remember Homura saying that name after Miki-san disappeared." Mami said while she drained the oil from the bacon strips.

"Yeah, that came just out of nowhere." Kyoko heard the beeping sound and got the pair of toast out of the toaster.

"Well, yesterday afternoon while she slept on the couch I also heard her calling out that name." Mami said while frying the second egg.

"So what are you suggesting?" Kyoko raised an eyebrow.

"I could tell that 'Madoka' person is…someone special to Homura." Mami concluded. "She'd become so sentimental whenever she talks about that…person."

"I don't know." Kyoko sighed. "She probably just needs a break. I mean, who could ever keep up with the kind of life we have?"

"You're probably right." Mami finished with having all the bacon strips and fried eggs partnered with each toast. _Maybe she just needs a break. I hope it's that simple._

* * *

><p>Homura eventually woke up, her eyes twitched when the sunlight hit them. She quickly got off from bed and went to the bathroom. After washing her face, she changed back to that set of clothes Mami lent her. Peeping from the door, she saw Mami and Kyoko sitting by the low table. The redhead was already eating, obviously.<p>

"Oh, you're already awake." Mami said as she set the tray down. "Join us, please."

Homura approached them and sat down.

"I apologize. This person right here couldn't wait but to eat her share." Mami said with a giggle. Kyoko was busy munching on her toast. "I helped out, y'know."

Homura said nothing at that and began eating her breakfast. She found the smell of the food really nice. _Mami-san's really a good cook._

"Aaahh..." Kyoko savored her milk up to the last drop. "That was delicious!"

"Finished already?" Mami was obviously amazed.

"Yup, yup." Kyoko patted her stomach. "Hey, sorry. I need to get going. My city needs protecting too, y'know."

"Get some cookies from the jar. You can eat them while walking." Mami offered.

"Nah, I'm good." Kyoko winked her eye. "See yah!"

"Take care, Sakura-san." Mami waved a hand at Kyoko who already left for the door. Homura continued eating her breakfast in silence. She noticed the time and realized that she woke up pretty late.

"How is it?"

"It's…really good." Homura answered softly.

"Sakura-san helped me out earlier."

"Yes, I think I heard her say that." The raven-haired girl's voice was the usual monotone. They continued eating their meal in silence. When they finished, Homura offered to help Mami with the dishes.

"Just soak them in the water for me." Mami smiled. "I'll take care of them later."

Homura nodded simply and soaked the dishes on the basin.

"Umm…Mami-san?"

"Yes?"

"I-I'm…really sorry about what happened last night…" Homura sounded apologetic. "I…guess…I must've freaked you out…"

Mami shook her head and tapped Homura's shoulder. "It's fine. Things like that happen."

Homura didn't say anything. For her, that wasn't just an ordinary bad dream or nightmare. That dream kept haunting her ever since that day…the day when Madoka sacrificed herself.

"Just remember, if you feel like talking to me about it, you know I'm here." Mami looked at Homura in the eyes. Somehow, when her eyes met Mami's, she felt a fluttery feeling in her chest. "I-I'll…keep…that in mind." Homura stammered at her words.

Mami also felt a pulsating sensation in her chest. For some reason, she couldn't explain what it was. One thing she was certain of, the feeling was really warm…

"I really need to get going." Homura stopped for a moment and realized she was still wearing the clothes Mami lent her.

"Oh, it's okay." Mami seemed surprised. "You can just return them at your convenience."

"Thank you, Mami-san…for letting me stay over."

"You're welcome." Mami said happily. "Here's your book, by the way."

"Oh, yes."

"And some cookies while you're walking." Mami handed a small, brown paper bag to the younger girl.

"This is...too much." Homura found herself bowing her head down.

"It's fine." Mami smiled. "See you at school, then?"

"Yes." Homura smiled faintly. "Thank you again, Mami-san."

"No problem." Mami said while leading Homura to the door. The two of them bid their goodbyes, finally leaving Mami alone in her apartment once again. Her hand was on her chest, still feeling the warmth of it.

_What was that all about…?_ Mami couldn't understand it herself.


	7. Sech: It's Not You

**Author's note:** Hey there! It's me again. It's been a while since I updated the story. Been busy with a few things lately. Thank you very much for the reviews! I really appreciate them. Things will get very interesting in the succeeding chapters. Hopefully you all stay tuned for that. Anyways, here's the latest chapter for this story. I honestly felt quite sad for Mami while writing this chapter. You'll know why as you continue reading. Do R&R. I'd appreciate it. Thanks! More HomuXMami goodness!

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><p><em>Sech<em>

The school bell rang. It was time for lunch.

"Akemi-san."

Homura looked around and tried to find where the voice came from. It turned out that it was Shizuki Hitomi who called her attention.

"What is it?" The raven-haired girl asked.

"Well, I…" Hitomi wasn't sure about where she would start. "I…was…wondering if I could meet you at the roof."

"The…roof…?" Homura wondered,

"I…actually need to talk to you about something. Please meet me there." Hitomi bowed and took her leave. _What would Shizuki-san want to talk about?_ _About Miki Sayaka? _Homura couldn't understand.

At the roof, the green-haired girl sat quietly while waiting for that certain someone. It had been ten minutes since she spoke to Homura back at the classroom. Hitomi waited patiently. She was certain Homura would show up. Sounds of footsteps were heard after a few moments. Hitomi closed her eyes and waited for the presence to come near.

"I know you would come, Akemi-san."

"Why did you ask to meet me here?" Homura's voice was the usual monotone.

"Do you have any idea about what happened to Sayaka-san?" Homura had seen this coming. And though she readied her possible answer, she suddenly felt guilty. She knew the whole truth about what happened to the blue-haired girl. It didn't seem fair to lie to Hitomi, but the latter wouldn't believe her.

"Why ask me, of all people?" Homura glanced back at Hitomi, her eyebrows were slightly furrowed.

"Well…I…" Hitomi stammered. "I…thought of doing so because I've seen you one time with Sayaka-san with a blonde girl…outside the school. I was wondering if…she told you anything."

The raven-haired girl knew this would be brought up. Even if they never talked to each other that much, Homura knew about Sayaka's true feelings for Kamijou. "She never told us anything." It was the truth, but also a lie in itself. "I only found out about her problem if weren't for the news of her disappearance breaking out. Apart from that, I know nothing."

"I see." Hitomi felt sad. "Well, the police haven't had any luck with their investigation that's why I thought of asking you."

"I'm afraid I can't be of any help." Homura flipped her hair. "I'm sorry, but it looks like I just wasted your time."

"It's fine. Thank you anyway, Akemi-san." Hitomi bowed and left the scene. Homura sat down and opened her lunch box. While she ate her food, she suddenly remembered the instance of seeing Madoka in this place…along with Sayaka. It felt rather painful, for she was alone and the silence was so deafening. The wind blew eastward, and it made the barbed fence produce a soft scrunching sound. For Homura, it seemed such a long time ago, having seen her only friend at this very same place. How she wished she could go back in time again, just to see that precious person once more. Soft sounds of footsteps jolted the dark-haired girl out of her reverie. Homura was alert, but she continued eating her meal in silence.

"Hey," The familiar voice whispered.

Homura faced the presence and smiled weakly. "Hi there."

Mami smiled and walked closer. "I'm rather surprised to find you up here."

Homura's smile faded. "Just a change of ambience, I guess?"

"Mind if I join you?" The blonde girl asked.

"I don't mind the company." Homura replied. Mami took a seat and observed that dwelling loneliness in the other girl's eyes. The older girl felt rather sad, as that loneliness kept them quite distant. Homura wasn't saying anything, and though it felt usual, Mami couldn't help but be reminded of what happened that night. The blonde girl's head loomed in a little closer and stared at her companion intently. Homura noticed it, and this caused her to stop eating her meal.

"What…is it…? Is…something wrong?"

"Oh, well… I just saw something dark under your eyes." Mami had to make up an excuse. Homura, on the other hand, fell for it somehow. She rubbed her right eye using the back of her right hand.

"Quite obvious, isn't it?" The younger girl rubbed her left eye using the same hand. "I guess that happens when you don't get enough sleep."

"You must be studying really hard." Mami remarked.

"I…well…I still need to keep up with school after all." Homura said softly.

"You shouldn't be pushing yourself too hard, though." The older girl noticed the ribbon on Homura's hair had come loose. Mami came close and tied the ribbon back in place.

"Th-thank you." Homura mumbled. The blonde girl smiled in return.

"Do you hang around here often?" Mami tried continuing their little talk.

Homura nodded simply and replied, "Only recently."

"I see." Mami flipped her hair. "It's really nice here. It's quiet and the breeze feels soothing."

"Yeah." Homura agreed. The cool breeze blew a bit strong, causing Mami's hair clips to fall out of place.

"Oh!" Mami got startled as her blonde hair got released from her hair clips. The clips fell to the ground, not too far from where they sat. As the blonde mane got blown by the breeze, Homura noticed how shiny and beautiful Mami's hair was. Admittedly, the younger girl found it quite lovely to see Mami with her hair down. It really looked good on her.

"Oh, dear. My hair's quite a mess." Mami looked around for her hair clips, which Homura picked up from the ground.

"Here." The younger girl handed the clips over.

"Thank you."

"Umm… I…think it's okay to…let your hair down. I-I mean… You…look…pretty…" Homura felt surprised with what she just said. She could feel herself blushing and made her bow her head down. Mami giggled softly and rustled her friend's hair lightly.

"Why, thank you." Mami thanked the younger girl for the compliment. "I would need to have my hair clipped up again, though. It gets in the way when I take notes."

"Let me help you, then." Homura offered. The raven-haired girl came close and helped Mami in having her hair fixed. Fingers ran through the blonde mane and Homura noticed how smooth it was, despite the large curls. After getting her hair fixed, Mami looked over her shoulder and smiled.

"You did pretty well." Mami remarked. "Thank you, Homura."

"It's…fine…" Homura kept her head bowed.

_She's still being shy around me. Maybe that's really her nature._ Mami thought. Her eyes widened at the sight of Homura packing her things.

"Going so soon?"

"N-not really…" The younger girl murmured.

Mami smiled and moved a bit closer. Homura felt surprised as she felt the other girl's arm press against hers, causing her to turn the other way. The blonde girl felt quite sad because Homura seemed to be making herself distant again.

"I'm sorry." Mami stared at her own feet. "I…seem to have gotten too far."

Homura turned to face her. "I…I should be the one to apologize."

"Eh?" The blonde girl couldn't quite understand.

"I know you're concerned, and I appreciate that very much." Homura continued. "It's…just that…"

"Homura…" Mami saw that very same loneliness in those purple orbs.

"I'm sorry." Homura sniffled and picked up her lunch box. "I'm sorry, I have to go."

"Homura, wait!" Mami reached a hand out to the younger girl. The raven-haired girl already took her first step and was startled at the action. Homura shook the hand that held hers, leaving Mami quite stunned.

"I'm really sorry. It's not you, Mami-san. I just…" Homura lowered her face and felt tears falling. "I have to go."

The black-haired girl ran away. Mami felt helpless as she wasn't able to stop the younger girl from doing so.

_Am I that untrusting? Why does she keep herself so distant?_ A saddened Mami thought.

* * *

><p><em>Saddening. Mami's obviously trying so hard, yet she's being pushed away.<em>


	8. Sieben: No One Understands How I Feel

**Author's note: **Hello there, it's me again. Since it was vacation time for me, I was able to get enough time to write another chapter for this story. Yes, I know some of you did get the feeling of Homura struggling with her feelings. It's something I really had in mind. This latest chapter is quite emotional, which is something I really want to write about. Anyways, I hope you like this chapter. Do R&R. I really do appreciate it very much. Thanks! More Homu X Mami goodness!

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><p><em>Sieben<em>

Classes were over and Mami busily packed her things.

"Tomoe-san."

Mami looked up and saw one of her seatmates.

"There's this new bakeshop that opened recently. Want to join us?"

Mami shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I can't go. I have things to take care of."

Her seatmate smiled weakly. "I see."

"I'm really sorry." Mami bowed her head and made her way to the door. She quickened her pace and walked briskly down the hallways until she finally got out of the school building. As she reached the gate, a saddened expression was seen on her face.

Homura wasn't there. Mami gripped her bag's strap tightly and closed her eyes. _It's my fault. Now she's avoiding me._ She took out her phone and looked for Homura's name on her contact list. Once she got it up, she began typing her message.

_Homura, it's me, Mami. I'm here at the gate._ The blonde girl paused as she was unsure on what to say next.

_I'm really sorry…for what happened earlier._ Mami continued. _I understand if ever you'll need some time alone._ She paused again and took a deep breath.

_I'm just letting you know…that I'll be here if ever you need help._

The blonde girl closed her eyes as she waited for her message to send. She didn't expect a response from Homura, but at least she was able to say what was needed. After getting her message sent, Mami took her leave.

* * *

><p>The flower shop was mostly empty. An old woman smiled when she heard the sound of the chimes hanging on the door.<p>

"What are you getting this time, young lady?"

"This." The young girl answered, her finger pointed at the bunch of pink and red roses.

"Oh, how sweet!" The old lady exclaimed. "That person must be very lucky."

The young girl kept her head bowed while waiting for the flowers she bought. The pink roses reminded her of that precious person's pink hair. The red roses reminded her of that someone's ruby red eyes. She really missed looking into those eyes. Those loving, caring eyes that comforted her, reassured her that things will be all right once she returns to the rewritten world.

"Here you go." The old lady handed the bouquet to her customer.

"Thank you." After paying, the young woman walked out of the shop.

* * *

><p>Mami walked down the street quietly, still thinking of Homura. The blonde girl felt really bothered about what happened earlier that day. She stared at the ground, looking at her own feet as she walked. The sound of a door closing made her look up, and she tried finding where the noise came from. She saw a familiar figure walk out of a flower shop across the road, her yellow orbs amplified when she realized who it was.<p>

_Homura?_

Mami felt an urge to call out to her, but remembering what happened earlier caused her to hesitate. Instead, she followed Homura discreetly. She did all she could for her not to be seen by the younger girl. After a few minutes of walking, Mami finally saw where the raven-haired girl was heading to.

_The park…?_

While Mami was not too far behind, Homura walked on until she reached her destination, the elevated part of the park. There were trees around, but there's this one tree that Homura laid her eyes on. Under that tree, there was a little stone pillar and the characters for the word "hope" were carved on it. She knelt down and laid the bouquet of roses beside the pillar. Not too far away, the blonde girl was watching...while keeping herself hidden behind another tree. Mami's eyes widened when she saw tears trickling down the other girl's cheeks.

"Hi there." Homura whispered. "It's me."

The raven-haired girl tried wiping the tears using the back of her hand. "Look, I've got you roses this time. I…really hope you like them…"

There was silence. Homura had her head bowed, the tears never stopped falling. The blonde girl could see what was happening. She found herself clutching her chest while the younger woman wept.

"I… I…" Homura sniffled. "I really miss you…"

The dark-haired girl closed her eyes. "I just…want to see you again, Madoka. Why…? Why did you have to leave me?"

Mami could feel tears welling from her own eyes. The words she just heard really broke her heart. The blonde girl balled up her hands; she was obviously trying really hard to stifle her own tears.

"No one understands how I feel." Homura said in between sobs. "Sometimes, I'd doubt myself…whether my memories of you are real or just a thing my imagination cooked up."

Homura pulled the red ribbon from her hair and caressed it, feeling its softness and warmth. "If I were to make a wish again…I'd wish to see you…even for just one more time…"

"Just…once more…"

Mami walked away silently as she couldn't bear what she was seeing. _I'm the one to blame here… _Her mind whispered. _I never understood how she felt… I even forced myself onto her._

_I know she's scared of me now… _Mami thought sadly as she got out of the park. The streetlights were starting to light up, her shadow appeared as the darkness of the night enveloped the sky. The saddened blonde girl continued walking down the road…until she felt something heavy in the air.

The air was thick, too thick. There was no mistaking it.

The miasma was suffocating.

_Not even a moment's rest… _The blonde girl sighed.

The entire place blurred out, street signs spun all over the place. Stressful thoughts already plagued the poor girl, and the wraiths even added up to that stress she bore. Her thoughts wandered back to what happened earlier during lunch, Homura ended up running away from her, having seen her friend in such a depressing state caused Mami's heart to clench.

_I'll not allow her to suffer anymore…_ Yellow light erupted from her soul gem, enveloping her body and her magical girl outfit replaced her uniform. With one musket in her hand, dozens more surrounded her, her battle stance ready. She wanted to make sure she'd win this fight on her own… After all, it was her fault why Homura got hurt to begin with.

_I won't let her fight…not in a time like this!_ The blonde girl took off, her muskets fired at the wraiths that aimed after her.

Homura walked past the park's gate. Her soul gem constantly glowed, sensing that wraiths were indeed nearby. As she turned around, she noticed explosions not too far away. The dark-haired girl started running toward that direction. While she ran, a bright purple light surrounded her, quickly transforming into her magical girl form. She spread her angelic wings and flew fast, hoping she could still make it in time to help whoever was fighting those wraiths.

The wraith turned into dust as the bullet hit its skull. Mami had muskets in both hands and fired in opposite directions. Red beams chased after her, which the blonde girl evaded elegantly. She fired at another and turned it into dust. More wraiths surrounded her on all sides. Her eyebrows furrowed and her grip on her muskets tightened. She still kept her cool, despite the feeling of guilt she was carrying in her heart.

She moved forward, stepping on the one of wraith's shoulders and used it as a platform to jump out from the circle they formed. Red beams chased after her again and this time, Mami's left shoulder got pierced. The blonde girl let out a small cry, but she bit her lip to hold the pain in. She raised one hand and fired her musket, the other ones fired at the rest. She strangled one with her ribbon, ripping off the neck. She noticed the stain of blood on her left sleeve, the pain was still present. _This is nothing. I've had worse…_ Her soul gem seemed to be darkened almost halfway.

She continued firing at the wraiths, while elegantly swinging from one skyscraper to the other with her ribbons. Mami didn't notice that one of them gained its pace and was already in front of her. Much to her surprise, the wraith slammed her on to the water tank. The impact caused the tank to burst. Mami's vision was completely blurred by the water erupting from the tank. She felt pain all over her body, her limbs weren't moving even if she tried to. The roaring sound of the wraiths was getting nearer. They were all aiming for her.

_This is it…huh?_ Mami thought.

_I'm…so…sorry, Homura… Please, forgive me…_

Images of Homura flooded her mind. She smiled as she knew her time was near.

_Homura… I…love…_

"Mami-san!"

Her eyes widened in shock. She knew that voice.

_Ho-Homura…?_

Purple light filled her vision, thousands of purple arrows rained from the sky, vaporizing every wraith. The wraiths roared in pain as they were being destroyed.

The dark bow faded away and Homura landed on her feet. Grief cubes came raining down around her. She quickly gathered the cubes and ran towards the water tank. The purple-eyed girl let the blonde girl's head rest on her lap. Mami's outfit transformed, back into her school uniform. Her darkened soul gem rolled to the side. Homura quickly got hold of it and tapped it against the grief cubes she had gathered. The darkness slowly faded from Mami's soul gem, bringing out a yellow color.

"Mami-san…wake up. Please…" Homura whispered as she shook the blonde girl slightly. Tears suddenly streamed down her cheeks. "You shouldn't have fought them on your own…"

Mami looked up and saw Homura in tears. "I'm…so sorry…Homura. I…didn't…want…to…"

"Still you should've called out to me…" Homura protested. The words she just said quite surprised her. "I mean…we're a team, right?"

"But…I…" Mami paused; her thoughts took her back to what happened earlier. "I…hurt you."

"No!" Homura said aloud. "You didn't hurt me. You didn't do anything wrong." Mami's soul gem was completely cleansed and Homura felt quite relieved. She began tapping the remaining grief cubes to cleanse her own soul gem, which didn't take as much time.

"Come on, I'll take you home." Homura spread her wings and wrapped her arms around Mami's waist. The action caused Mami's cheeks to blush slightly. The raven-haired girl noticed this, making her feel warmth on her cheeks as well.

"You…don't…need…to…" Mami tried to protest.

"Please." Homura said firmly. "I should've looked after you, Mami-san. There's no excuse for my irresponsibility."

"All right…" Mami finally gave in. "Thank…you…Homura."

After that, they took off.


	9. Acht: I'm In Love With You, That's Why!

**Author's note: **Hi, it's me again. I'm so glad I'm able to update the story quite sooner than expected. Now, things are starting to get interesting, and it starts from this chapter moving forward. Forgive me if ever this chapter's quite short, but I'm pretty sure I'll be making up in the succeeding ones. Anyway, I hope you like this new chapter. Do R&R. I'd really appreciate it. Thanks! More Homu x Mami goodness!

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><p><em>Acht<em>

A soft murmur was heard inside Mami's quiet bedroom.

"You're finally awake…" Homura whispered.

Mami tried sitting upright on her bed when she suddenly felt a stinging pain on her left shoulder. This caused her to let out a whimper.

"Don't move yet." Homura cautioned. "Your injuries have not completely healed."

Mami looked at her left shoulder and noticed that it was bandaged. She laid herself down on her bed carefully. Moments later, Homura draped a cool cloth on the blonde girl's forehead.

"It went down for a bit," Homura took the thermometer and showed it to the older girl. "37.5 degrees."

Mami was still speechless, as she was observing the raven-haired girl's behavior. _She seems to be her normal, stoic self._ The blonde girl thought. Though the younger girl showed her usual stoic self in front of Mami, the loneliness can still be seen in her purple eyes. That somehow didn't slip from Mami's observant view.

"Thank you." Mami whispered.

"I know it's not much…" Homura replied.

"Don't worry about it." Mami said weakly. "After all, I haven't made up to you…with what happened earlier."

Homura frowned. "It wasn't your fault."

They both went silent for a few moments. Mami stared at the younger girl intently, waiting if she'd say anything else. Homura closed her eyes and finally broke that silence.

"I've…never…" Homura stuttered. "I've never been open with anyone…ever since that day…"

Mami remained silent and tried to listen to what Homura had to say.

"I've been…feeling so scared…" The raven-haired girl continued. "…scared of getting too close to anyone…"

"Why…?" The blonde girl asked.

"If I lose someone close to me again…I don't think I'd be able to…" Homura couldn't finish her sentence. Mami closed her eyes and understood what the younger girl was pointing out.

"I see. I finally understand it now."

Homura turned and saw the blonde girl holding onto her hand.

"Honestly, I only thought about myself. I didn't even consider your feelings." Mami continued. "I've been alone for a while, too, and I guess that caused me to long for people whom I can call my friends."

"Mami-san…"

"Ever since we've teamed up, I really had this feeling of you being lonely for so long." Mami put a hand on her chest. "I was so glad we teamed up in fighting the wraiths and I really hoped that it wouldn't just end there. I really wanted us to become friends."

Homura stayed silent as she heard those words.

"And I thought maybe if we did, you wouldn't be feeling so lonely." Mami turned the other way. "But then, I guess I can't be a good friend to you after all…"

"Mami-san?" Homura's eyes widened.

Mami faced the dark-haired girl and suddenly blurted out, "…because even if I'm around you'd always keep yourself distant!"

The younger girl felt shocked. She didn't see this coming.

"It always made me think that I'm not good enough for you." The blonde girl sniffled. Tears slid down from Mami's eyes. "I knew that. I know I'll never be good enough…because of Madoka-san…"

"Madoka?" Homura was taken aback when she heard that name. "What do you…?"

"I understand it now. I know how much she means to you." Mami continued, the tears continued falling. "At first, I didn't believe those stories you'd tell about her. But when I saw you there at the park earlier…"

Homura felt her heart beat against her chest when she heard it from Mami. "You…were there…?"

"Yes, I was." Mami admitted. "And when I saw you breaking down, I just couldn't stand it. I was there but I couldn't do anything."

Mami clutched her chest and continued speaking. "It really hurt me…and I felt so helpless…"

"Mami-san…" Homura tried reaching out a hand to Mami, who was already feeling dejected. The blonde girl shook the hand away, leaving Homura stunned.

"I always wondered why…" Mami laughed ironically, her eyes closed. "I always wondered why I even bother. I only realized it while I was fighting the wraiths alone."

Mami finally looked into Homura's eyes, and cried out. "I'm in love with you, that's why!"

Homura found herself staring back at the other girl and felt like the confession rammed her ears. The purple-eyed girl was speechless; she didn't know what to say.

"There. I already said it…" Mami blinked, and wiped the tears from her eyes. "But I guess it wouldn't matter. I don't think I'll ever get a chance to be let in to your heart."

Homura felt guilty when she heard those words from Mami. For so many months, she only ever thought of one person—Madoka. She only thought of the pink-haired girl as she was the only person that mattered. Her reason for fighting was to honor Madoka's sacrifice, to continue protecting the world she cherished. Before teaming up with Mami, Homura had been on her own, fighting the wraiths with all her strength to keep her promise. It didn't really matter whether there were other people around her, but Homura continued fighting…because it was all for Madoka. She'd always long for that time to finally come, when they'd see each other again…and they would be together in the afterlife forever.

Hearing Mami's confession hit her heart. Homura realized that she kept herself too distant that she didn't even notice the other people around her. Mami, in particular, was the only person who came to Homura and even tried to befriend her. Homura did enjoy her company lately these days. She knew of the blonde girl's kindness, her protective attitude and the way she looked out for others. Those were things that Homura kind of liked about her. Among the other girls, Mami approached her the most, offering her help even in the smallest of things. However, she didn't get to realize why Mami was so kind to her.

Mami loved her. Homura felt happy that someone cared for her in this new world. But she felt quite sad, because she already knew she didn't feel the same for the blonde girl. She knew it for herself that her whole heart was for Madoka alone, and that she'd continue to love her with her whole life. The raven-haired girl closed her eyes and held Mami's hand, gently stroking it to somehow comfort her.

"I'm really sorry, Mami-san. But, I still…"

"I know." Mami replied sadly. "You love Madoka-san. I know that."

"I'm really sorry. But I…just can't forget her…"

"I understand." Mami whispered.

_I will wait, Homura. I know one day, I'd have a place in your heart._

"Mami-san?" Homura took something out of her pocket. It was the handkerchief Mami gave her that Saturday evening. "This helped me calm down that night and I haven't thanked you for it. Thank you, Mami-san."

"I'm glad you like it." Mami said, smiling faintly.

"Are we…still friends…?" Homura asked. Mami's eyes widened at Homura's sudden question. The fact that Homura considered her as a friend caused her to tear up. She reached out for the black-haired girl and gave her a hug. Homura eventually returned the gesture.

"Yeah, friends." Mami sniffled.

Mami suddenly felt pain on her left shoulder again. She completely forgot about her injuries. Homura got a hold of her and laid her back down in bed slowly.

"I'm sorry." Mami laughed shakily, out of slight embarrassment.

"It's fine." Homura smiled weakly. "Your wounds should heal anytime soon." She adjusted the pillow underneath Mami's head and made sure she felt comfortable.

"Do you want something to eat? I can go out and buy food for us." Homura offered.

Mami smiled. "Geez, and to think you're my visitor."

"It's okay." Homura smiled, this time it was a happier smile. "I still owe you and I haven't made up for it."

"Okay." Mami finally agreed.

"I know." Homura suddenly remembered. "I'll get something from that bakeshop that opened recently." Knowing Mami for her love of pastries and desserts, she knew the blonde girl wouldn't say no to that.

"Okay then." Mami replied.

Homura smiled as she walked out of the door.


	10. Neun: A Chance

**Author's note:** Heeeeey there! It's me again. And since I had a break from work, I was able to write a new chapter. The last part of this will be continued on the next chapter, which I hope I could finish sometime in early June. I would make it a point to update the story at least twice a month. I really do appreciate the reviews I've been getting for this story. And as always, don't forget to R&R this chapter. Thanks again! More Homu x Mami goodness!

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><p><em>Neun<em>

The bakeshop was mostly full. Homura stood in line for a few minutes until her turn came to pay. She bought blueberry cheesecake…the same dessert she had one night with Mami. As she glanced around, people all of all ages were seen seated, chatting and having fun. A couple of girls caught her attention. One of them had pink hair, tied in a single braid with a purple ribbon. She chatted with a brown-haired girl who wore glasses. The two of them seemed to have fun over chiffon cake and tea. Homura imagined those two girls as her and Madoka. She wondered how things could've gone if she still existed. How she wished a world with no magical girls, no witches, no wraiths, no incubators. Life could've been just easier, happier. Just like how she saw those two girls…

The two girls continued laughing, while Homura stared at them blankly. She suddenly heard faint sounds of laughter in her head. It belonged to a certain someone, someone she'd always have in her mind. It felt like Homura's heart was about to burst…while she continued hearing Madoka's cheery laughter in her mind. The dark-haired girl just closed her eyes and turned the other way and walked towards the exit.

Looking at her own feet while she walked, Homura felt the warmth from the edges of her eyes. It had been months…many months…and yet… Yet she still felt the same pain…the pain of losing someone special. She'd always dream about Madoka and her fate timeline after timeline.

_I wish I could go back in time again…just like before… _Homura thought silently.

_Just to see you again…_

Just when she was about to reach the corner, a maroon car stopped, the window further opened and a woman called out.

"Hey, you're the girl I saw at the park!"

Homura looked up and got surprised when she saw Kaname Junko waving a hand at her. Madoka's mother had not changed much since the time they saw each other at the park that day. It had been so long and yet Junko remembered her.

"Your name's Homura, right?"

Homura nodded simply.

"You seem to be going the same way as I am," Junko said. "Why don't you go and have a ride?"

The young girl replied, "That won't be necessary. It isn't that far, really."

"But it's already dark. It's not good if you walk out here by yourself." Junko's eyebrows furrowed a bit.

Homura finally gave in due to the older woman's insistence. She sat beside next to Madoka's mother, who was on the driver's seat.

"I see you bought something from the pastry shop." Junko observed the box that Homura had in her hands.

"Well…it's…for a friend." The dark-haired girl replied rather meekly.

"I see. That's really nice." Junko remarked. "Your friend must be really lucky."

Homura's cheeks slightly reddened when she heard this. Her hand rested just on top the box, her fingers tapping on it. Junko noticed this and found it really cute.

"You're so cute."

The raven-haired girl kept her head bowed and continued tapping her fingers on the box she was holding. Remembering what Junko previously said, she felt sad and thought of Mami. Her thoughts took her back to what happened earlier…and it made Homura sad.

"What's the matter? You seem be in deep thought." The woman noticed.

"It's nothing, really…" Homura turned the other way. Her eyes blankly stared at the streetlights outside.

Junko sighed. "With a face like that, how could it be nothing?"

Homura remained silent. Junko snapped her fingers over the younger girl's eyes.

"I could sense something's bothering you."

The dark-haired girl sighed. "Well…yeah. I just…don't know what to do…"

"Oh." Concern was painted on Junko's face. "That seems to be serious."

Homura stared at the older woman, as if she was seeking for wisdom. "If someone comes up and suddenly confesses his/her feelings for you, how…would you feel?"

"Wow." Junko stared in amazement. "How would I feel? It'll depend. I'd feel surprised and…thrilled, probably."

"I see." Homura whispered.

"Why? Did something like that happen?" Junko asked.

Homura nodded. "I guess I'm new to this sort of thing. And…I ended up…pushing her away, despite of knowing her true feelings."

"I see." Junko stepped on the breaks for the red signal. "I understand if you feel that way. You weren't expecting that to happen."

"Thing is, it's not that…" The raven-haired girl stuttered. "Well, she isn't a bad person at all, and yet...I still…"

"Let me guess," Junko smiled wryly. "There's someone else, right?"

"How did you…?" Homura was stunned.

"You wouldn't be feeling that bewildered if there isn't someone else, you know." Junko answered. Homura felt amazed on how Junko can perceive other people's feelings. True enough, there was really someone else, someone Homura could never, ever forget. She just couldn't tell the woman that it was actually her daughter—no, her daughter, "supposedly." Homura realized the fact that no one else remembered her beloved Madoka in this new world. No one else remembered, but her.

"It's one of those things, eh?" Junko stepped on the gas pedal when the green signal lit. "When you still have feelings for a certain someone, and then another person comes into the picture." The woman smirked and laughed softly. "It does happen in real life."

"What…do you think I should do?" Homura asked.

"Just go with the flow. You don't need to rush things." Junko tapped the younger girl's shoulder. "If you do, it'll be more painful. Instead of you being able to move on, you'd end up being stuck."

Junko was right. Homura had been stuck, feeling the pain of that loss. Since then, she hadn't moved on from it; and she never even tried opening up her heart to others. And with that, she ended up hurting the only person who cared about her in this new world.

"I can see you're having a tough time." Junko petted Homura's hair. "But I'm sure you'll get through this. I mean, I can sense that you're a strong person."

"Kaname-san…" Homura stared at the woman in amazement.

"And who knows? Maybe one day, you'll end up falling in love with that friend of yours."

"That's quite unlikely to happen." Homura replied; her voice was monotonous.

"Oh, I don't think so." Junko teased. "You said it yourself; she isn't a bad person."

"Well, I…" Homura felt warmth on her cheeks.

"Jeez, I was just messing with you." Junko giggled. "But seriously, it won't hurt if you give your friend a chance."

_Give her a chance? _Homura thought deeply; her face frowned.

"Just like what I said, there's no need to rush into things." Junko said. "Things will eventually fall into their right places. You'll have as much time as you need."

"I'll keep that in mind." Homura smiled faintly. "Thank you, Kaname-san."

"You're welcome." Junko winked an eye at her. "I know you can do it."

A few moments later, Junko stopped in front of the apartment complex where Mami lived. After getting off the car, Homura waved a hand at the woman and thanking her for the ride.

"No problem, Homura." Junko smiled and handed a small card to her. Homura seemed surprised at this. "Kaname-san…?"

"Just in case you need someone to talk to, I'm just a call away."

Homura smiled. "Thank you again, Kaname-san."

The maroon car soon left, leaving Homura standing just outside the apartment complex. As she walked past the glass door, she considered Junko's words, her feelings to all of this, and most of all, Mami…

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><p><em>It's been months since I last saw you.<em>

A redhead came into the train station, with a bouquet of blue orchids in her hands.

_I still can't believe you're gone, Sayaka._

Kyoko laid down the bouquet on a small stone pillar; the characters for the word "justice" were carved on it. She paid her respects, said a little prayer for her soul's repose, and left after a few minutes. While she walked, a shadow came past her. Kyoko's face went from solemn to an annoyed frown when she saw who it was.

"You've got some balls showing your face around here?" Kyoko said angrily, almost ready to strangle the person who caused Sayaka's disappearance...or at least that was what she thought.

"Wait! Please…" The silver-haired boy pleaded.

"Asking for mercy, eh? That ain't gonna happen!" Kyoko pushed Kyousuke out of extreme anger. The boy's back hit the lamp post. That must've hurt.

"Of all things that are to happen is to see you lounging around here." Kyoko's eyes were shining with unshed tears. "You disgust me!"

Kyoko turned the other way and ran, leaving a stunned Kyousuke behind.

_Sayaka… Damn it, Sayaka!_

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><p><em>Finally! Some exposure for Kyoko! The next chapter will be continued from where I left off, the first half of it will be pure Kyoko! Hope you stay tuned for that! :)<em>


	11. Zehn: The Only Way I Could Atone

**Author's note:** Hi! I am back! It's been a while since I was able to update. Been busy with a few things lately. It turned out different from the way I originally planned, but it turned out pretty much ok for the most part. I will be back business in updating this story so I hope you all stay tuned. Thanks a lot! Don't forget to R&R. More HomuXMami goodness! :)

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><p><em>Zehn<em>

"Where's Sayaka? Hey, what happened to her?" A bewildered Kyoko asked.

"She's gone. She followed the law of the cycle and passed on." Mami said; her face saddened at the loss of the blue-haired girl. "Miki-san used up all of her power in that last blow, didn't she?"

Kyoko slammed her fist at the lamp post. "That idiot! What good was saving the guy she loved if she vanished herself?" Her crimson eyes shone bright with unshed tears. "Dummy… Just when we'd finally become friends…"

"That's the fate of all magical girls." Mami said calmly. "I'm sure you understood that fact when you attained this power."

Not too far away, Homura stood and looked at her hand. Her eyes glimmered as she stared at the red ribbon she held. She heard the blonde girl continue on.

"Before the hope we wished for brings about an equal amount of misfortune, we have no choice but to disappear from this world."

Homura sniffled softly, caressing the red ribbon and whispered, "Madoka…"

Mami and Kyoko felt startled and turned their heads at the same time to face the raven-haired girl.

"Akemi-san…?"

They stared in bewilderment when they heard the word their friend just muttered.

"Madoka…?"

"Who's that?" Kyoko wondered.

Since that day, Kyoko seemed distant. She still couldn't believe that Sayaka was indeed, gone. It was much like how Homura had become since Madoka disappeared.

One day, Kyoko said her goodbyes to Mami; her reasoning was to go back to Kazamino, her hometown.

"For once, I have to go back there and protect that place." Kyoko said solemnly. "I just feel like it's the only way I could atone…"

"Sakura-san…" Mami felt sad. "Are you sure you'll be all right by yourself?"

"Don't worry about me." Kyoko pulled out a stick of Pocky and munched on it.

"It seems that I can't do anything to change your mind." Mami said sadly.

Thank you for everything. Kyoko thought silently. She waved a hand back to the blonde girl to bid her final goodbye.

"Take care, Sakura-san." Mami said in return.

Kyoko had been fighting wraiths in her home city. At times she would end up dropping by Mitakihara when those creatures wander off her territory during fights. At one point, the redhead decided to put up a small memorial for the blue-haired girl by the train station, of which Mami and Homura found agreeable. Two months after her disappearance, the three of them crossed paths once again…and paid respects to Sayaka at her small memorial, which was a little stone pillar with the characters for the word "justice" carved on it. Kyoko had it set up that way, remembering how adamant Sayaka was in becoming a magical girl who fought for justice. Mami felt really glad when she saw Kyoko again. Homura was still stoic, as usual. The three of them paid respects to the blue-haired magical girl. Homura had two roses, one for her and one for a friend who couldn't be there herself. Mami brought a bouquet of white orchids, while Kyoko had a bouquet of blue orchids with her. Kyoko offered a silent prayer for the repose of the blue-haired girl's soul. Mami did the same, while Homura stood not too far from them.

After that solemn reunion, Kyoko turned to face them.

"I need to get going."

"Aren't you going to come spend time with us, Sakura-san?" Mami asked.

"I need some time alone." Kyoko said, turning the other way. "Besides, Akemi's with you. You've already got company."

Homura turned away when she heard this. Kyoko let out a wry smirk and threw something to the raven-haired girl. Homura caught it and was surprised to find out what it was.

"That's my VIP pass to the arcade." Kyoko smiled. "Play some games to get your stresses out." The red-haired girl waved a hand at the two of them, and walked away towards the escalator.

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><p><em>Sayaka… Damn it, Sayaka!<em>

Kyoko continued running, having seen Kyousuke's face earlier made her heart churn. She felt really angry, remembering how Sayaka gave up everything, even her own happiness for the sake of Kyousuke. She wished for his injuries to be healed, and in turn, the blue-haired girl accepted the fate of battling wraiths. It was her way of showing protection to the people she cared about the most.

That idiot…! He's not worth protecting… Kyoko thought.

The silver-haired boy was still in pain. He only wanted to know what really happened to Sayaka. Rumors had it that she ran away from home and was seen with a red-haired girl wearing a green hoodie. Kyousuke tried to find out where Kyoko would usually hang out, and by sheer chance their paths crossed at the train station. Kyoko was definitely mad. It was evident on her face.

"You've got some balls showing your face around here?"

Kyousuke thought of talking things out with her, since he had observed Kyoko's somewhat hostile behavior.

"Wait! Please…"

"Asking for mercy, eh? That ain't gonna happen!" Kyousuke got pushed hard and his back hit the lamp post.

"Of all things that are to happen is to see you lounging around here." The silver-haired boy's eyes widened in shock when he saw Kyoko's crimson eyes glimmering with unshed tears. The red-haired girl turned the other way and ran. He turned around and saw the stone pillar with the bouquet of blue orchids laid beside it.

_I just want to know the truth. What happened to Sayaka?_

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><p><em>But seriously, it won't hurt if you give your friend a chance.<em>

Those words echoed inside Homura's head while she took the elevator. As she waited inside, her thoughts took her back to what happened.

_I'm in love with you, that's why!_

_Why, Mami-san?_ Homura thought. _I'm not…_

_It won't hurt if you give your friend a chance._

Those words kept playing repeatedly in her mind. Homura shook her head and heaved a sigh. The elevator's door opened a few moments after. When she reached Mami's apartment, she took a deep breath before entering the door. She quietly took the stairs and went to Mami's bedroom. As she entered the room, she saw the blonde girl, already sitting upright on the bed.

"Mami-san, you should still lie down." Homura put the box down the bedside table.

"My back would just feel sore if I just lie down." Mami said with a chuckle. Homura kept silent and observed that the older girl's injuries were slowly healing. While observing, Homura could still hear Junko's words inside her head, telling her to give the blonde girl, her friend a chance.

"Are you okay, Homura?" Mami asked.

"Uh, yeah." That caused Homura to snap out of her little daydreaming and remembered the cake she bought earlier. "By the way, I got blueberry cheesecake. Are you ok with it?"

"Why, yes." Mami answered gleefully.

Mami pointed where Homura can get small plates for them to use. Apparently, Mami already had clean kitchenware inside her room, just close to her personal fridge. Her room wasn't all that fancy, but due to her love of sweets, Mami would have some of those inside her little fridge. Whenever she'd wake up right in the middle of her sleep, Mami would just go and grab whatever her fridge has to offer. Homura found it amazing to see how much Mami is into sweet things and cake, most especially.

"How long have you been…?" Homura wasn't sure on how to start the conversation. She caught herself; this will be a first for her to even start up small talk. Mami would usually do that.

"Hmm?" Mami wondered,

"I-I mean…" Homura stuttered; her cheeks warmed at the sight of Mami smiling at her. She tried her best to continue her question. "H-how long have you been fond of desserts?"

"Ever since I was a kid." Mami answered with a smile. "Actually, my mom wasn't really fond of sweets and even told me to avoid them. She said that eating too much sweet food is bad."

"I see." Homura murmured.

"The cheesecake looks really nice." Mami noticed. "Was that from the bakeshop that opened recently?"

"Yes." The raven-haired girl responded.

"This will be my first time I would try something from a newly opened shop." Mami giggled.

"Because you make the desserts yourself." Homura said softly while handing a slice of the cake over to her blonde friend.

"Right." Mami giggled. "You must have known that since you met a lot of iterations of me."

"Uhmm…" Homura didn't know what to say. She wasn't sure whether Mami was already starting to believe her "hard-to-believe" story, but somehow Mami never showed any sign of disbelief. Mami only heard that story a few times, about Madoka, about Homura and her constant repeating of time to save her life.

"What's wrong, Homura?" Mami seemed concerned.

"I-it's nothing." Came Homura's weak reply.

* * *

><p><em>Awww. Cute! Is this finally it...? We still don't know.<em>


	12. Elf: I Am Just Being Delusional

**Author's note: **Hi there! Am baaaack! I am so sorry for the long time it took for me to update the story. I have been busy with a few things lately. And since my work is expected to be lighter this coming few weeks, I might be able to update this story more often. Anyways, thank you so much for the people who have left reviews and had followed this story since the beginning. Last who left reviews are _Casamora_, _Major Mike Powell III_ and _fortunelestion_. I really, really appreciate the reviews sooo much. Anyways, here's the latest chapter for this story. It took quite sometime for me to come up with the idea since my work got piled up.

Am giving credits to _fortunelestion_ as some of the things you will read here were taken from her suggestion. I did make a few changes to tailor fit her idea for this chapter. Thank you so much. You are indeed awesome!

Anyways, I hope you all enjoy this chapter! Don't forget to R&R. More Homu x Mami goodness, everyone! ;)

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><p><em>Elf<em>

"Thank you so much for helping me out today." Mami said as she put her fork down. They had finished eating half of the blueberry cheesecake within a few minutes.

"Don't mention it. Shall I put the rest in the refrigerator?" Homura asked.

"Please do." Mami answered. "It'll still be good until a couple more days."

"Okay." The raven-haired girl opened the small fridge and put the remaining cake inside.

"Say, Homura?"

"Yes?" The purple-eyed girl turned to face her.

"I am so sorry about earlier." Mami said remorsefully.

Homura shook her head, her hand gently held on to the blonde girl's shoulder. "Don't be, Mami-san."

_I should be the one to feel that way. _Homura thought. _You have been so kind to me…and yet…_

* * *

><p>A shadow was seen produced by a little sparkle of red light inside a church's ruins. Little by little, she took each step of the stairs towards the altar. The only light inside the ruins came from the girl's bright red soul gem. Kyoko stood in front of the altar, placing the gem on the cold stone marble. She looked up at the sky and saw the moonlight from the church's ruined ceiling.<p>

"Where's the happy dream I asked for?" The redhead mumbled with a tone of despair.

_"Miki-san used up all of her power in that final strike didn't she?"_

_"That dummy!"_ Kyoko slammed her fist at the lamppost, her crimson orbs bright with unshed tears. "_What good is saving the guy you love when you end up vanishing yourself?! Damn,_ _just when we'd finally become friends…"_

_"This is our fate, us, magical girls." _Mami said solemnly, remembering how Sayaka used up all of her power that fateful night.

Homura sobbed not too far away, holding a pair of ribbons in her hand. The blonde magical girl continued, _"We have no choice but to disappear from this world when our hope turns into despair."_

_"Madoka…"_

The two other magical girls turned to her as they heard this unfamiliar name.

_"Akemi-san?"_ Mami wondered. _"Who's this Madoka?"_

_"Yeah, who's that?"_ The redhead was puzzled.

As the moonlight gleamed over her crimson eyes, a suddenly thought came to Kyoko's mind. _This Madoka…_

Kyoko suddenly grabs her soul gem to unleash her long spear and used it to jump towards the church's rooftop. Her mood was totally despaired after seeing Kamijou at the train station, but what made it worse is the reminder of how her friend Sayaka disappeared. The moonlight shone over her soul gem as she recalled…

_"Oh, you mean her imaginary friend? Do you even believe that story, Mami?"_

_"W-well…" _Mami did have a second thought.

_"I mean, what gives?"_ Kyoko laughed. _"Magical girls turn into witch-like beings when they fall into despair? Her imagination must be wild."_

Mami kept herself silent at that.

_"For all we know, we disappear from this world once we fall into despair. That's what you said, right? We'll be guided by the Law of the Cycle one day once all of our magic is drained."_

_"But you do remember Homura calling onto that name after Miki-san disappeared."_ Mami said softly.

_"Yeah, that came just out of nowhere."_

True enough, Kyoko had only heard about Madoka's story once, not straight from Homura but from their blonde senpai. She recalled an instance when she was done hunting wraiths nearing the Mitakihara loop line; she sat on an old building, pondering. For whatever reason, the spear-wielder was always fond of old, abandoned buildings. She had thought about this Madoka, and how it was told that she was indeed the savior that would end the misfortune of magical girls.

_I wonder if that story from Mami is even true…?_ Kyoko thought. _If she's the savior of us magical girls, can't she bring Sayaka back?_

Kyoko's mood wasn't in the best, since she had been bearing the pain of Sayaka's disappearance. It had also been a few days she came across Mami and Homura for Sayaka's memorial. Her senses alerted when a presence came close. It was no surprise to Kyoko on who the visitor was. Just as expected, it was the white-furred familiar that did nothing but to obtain grief cubes from destroyed wraiths. Kyuubey was in its usual emotionless stance, its tail continued to wag as it walked near the redhead.

"You seem to be acting restless today." Kyuubey observed.

"Ehh? What makes you think that, Incubator?" The redhead shot back with a sarcastic tone.

"It's unusual for me to see you like this, Sakura Kyoko." The Incubator came close as the redhead threw the grief cubes in the air, reverting back to her usual green hoodie and denim shorts outfit.

"Say, Kyuubey." Kyoko's eyes narrowed. "You're the one who grants magical powers to girls who make a contract with you, right?"

"Provided I grant their wishes, yes." The white-furred creature answered.

"And the limits of the powers you grant them." Kyoko mumbled.

"I explained that right from the start." The incubator said casually. "If you accept the fate of becoming a magical girl, you will have to fight wraiths to maintain the balance in the universe."

"And part of the rules is the fact we disappear from this world when we exhaust our powers." Kyoko said while tapping a grief cube on her soul gem.

"That is if there aren't enough grief cubes to restore your powers." Kyuubey said, while it ate the first batch of grief cubes the redhead threw earlier. "It still remains a mystery to our society on what really happens beyond a magical girl's disappearance. I've heard a story about it from Akemi Homura, which I just find hard to believe."

"So, you must have heard about the name _Madoka. _Do you know who this _Madoka _might be?" Kyoko asked.

"Are you becoming delusional like Akemi Homura?!" Kyuubey scratched its ear with its paw. "I don't remember anyone with a name like that. We've contracted so many girls your age, but we never encountered anyone with that name ever."

"So it seems that you really don't know everything, huh?" Kyoko concluded.

"Why did you suddenly bring this topic up, Sakura Kyoko?" The white-furred creature turned its head while waiting for a grief cube to be thrown at him.

"Hmm…nothing really." Kyoko threw the used grief cubes at the emotionless creature.

* * *

><p><em>Maybe Kyuubey is right. I am just being delusional.<em> Kyoko thought. _So much for wanting to bring Sayaka back…_

Looking at the moonlight, a thought comes to Kyoko's mind…

_Akemi Homura… Is your story really worth believing…?_

* * *

><p>"Are you sure you will be okay, Homura?" Mami asked with caution. "I mean, it's getting late."<p>

The raven-haired girl nodded. "It's okay, Mami-san. I've caused you too much trouble already."

"Don't say that." Mami's eyebrows furrowed. "You're my friend, so you're always welcome here."

"I appreciate that. Thank you." Homura bowed to show her gratitude.

"Here," Mami stood up and handed something over to the raven-haired girl. "Bring something with you while you're on your way home."

"Mami-san, this is too much." Homura was surprised. The blonde girl handed over a small tin filled with candies inside.

"It's fine." Mami winked an eye.

"T-thank you, Mami-san." Homura let out a weak smile. "They look so nice."

"I know." Mami smiled back. "Now, get going. It's getting late. See you at school, alright?"

Homura nodded in agreement.

The long-haired girl was about to walk away from the bed when a sudden warmth was felt in her arm. Homura was surprised to see Mami's hand holding onto her arm quite warmly and a little tight. Purple orbs meet golden ones for a few seconds, both of them were silent. In the end the blonde girl let go with an apologetic look.

"I'm so sorry."

Homura shook her head. "It's okay, Mami-san."

"Be careful, ok?" The blonde girl said quite shyly.

"I will. Thank you again, Mami-san." The raven-haired girl replied along with a weak smile.

* * *

><p><em>I am currently working on the next chapter and hopefully if things go well, I can have it finished before November. Just stay tuned everyone! <em>;)


	13. Zwölf: That's All We'll Ever Be

**Author's note: **_Hi there! It's me again. I am very sorry for the long delay in updating this story. It has been tough the past few weeks, due to a personal crisis...one that forced to put my writing aside for more than a month. I know most of you guys are eagerly waiting for what happens between Homu and Mami. I hope this chapter I am uploading serves the start of everything, with wishes that this continues down the path I want the story to be in the first place. Anyways, to the faithful readers, thank you very much for all your reviews, feedback, rant and raves. I do appreciate them because they help me improve in a lot of ways. As always, I hope you enjoy this chapter. I enjoyed writing it so much as well. Thanks and more Homu X Mami goodness!_

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><p><em>Zwölf: <em>_That's All We'll Ever Be_

"Excuse me."

The blonde girl turned her head to find where the voice came from. A girl with green hair holding her school bag stood a little shyly.

"Are you…Tomoe Mami-san?"

"…Yes." Hesitation was noticeable in Mami's voice. "Umm…"

"Oh, I'm sorry." The green-haired girl bowed. "I am Shizuki Hitomi."

"It's nice to meet you." Mami said gracefully. "It seems that you're an eighth grader."

"That is correct." The green-haired girl said with as much grace. "Do you have a moment?"

* * *

><p>"What is it that you want to talk about, Shizuki-san?"<p>

"Are you close with Miki Sayaka-san?" The green-eyed girl inquired. Mami's eyes squinted a little; it made her realize that Hitomi was Sayaka's classmate.

"Miki-san is a good friend of mine," Mami calmly answered; not even a hint of nervousness was traced in her response. As the blonde girl's eyes looked around, she saw a familiar figure about to enter the cafeteria's door.

"I see." Hitomi's eyes closed. "Would you know about her whereabouts by any chance?"

Homura entered the cafeteria and instantly saw the two other girls seated near the window. Instinctively, Homura hid herself behind the large decorated plant near the door.

_"Mami-san!"_ Homura called out through telepathy.

Mami instantly knew where Homura was, her response through telepathy still calm. "_Just stay where you are, Homura. I'll handle this."_

Hitomi noticed the blonde girl's silence. "Tomoe-san?"

"Oh, I'm sorry." Mami smiled weakly. "I am just quite surprised that someone would ask me. I mean, I haven't seen Miki-san for quite some time."

"I do remember seeing her with you…along with Akemi Homura-san one afternoon outside the school." Hitomi's eyebrows furrowed.

Homura's eyes widened as she, too, was hearing the conversation. Mami suddenly put down the teacup she was holding.

"That's true." Mami said calmly. "That time, Miki-san had failed two subjects at the last exam. At first, she didn't want to tell us about it but, she eventually spilled the beans. Akemi-san and I decided to help her out with studying. That was the last time I've seen her."

"I see. I do remember that." Hitomi's eyes were closed. "Apparently, the police haven't had any luck with the investigation, so…"

"I understand, Shizuki-san. I apologize if I'm not able to help you that much." Mami said with a remorseful look.

"It's all right, Tomoe-san." Hitomi smiled. "I was hoping that maybe she had told you about any other personal problem aside from failing the exams."

Mami shook her head. "That's all I know, I am afraid. I wouldn't know if she had any problem apart from that. Sometimes, Miki-san can be a little proud…"

Hitomi remained silent, with her head bowed. Mami looked at the decorated plant and saw Homura staring at them. The blonde girl squinted her eyes while Homura took a deep breath and pretended she just entered the door.

"Is this seat taken, Tomoe-san?" The raven-haired girl asked.

"No, Akemi-san. Please sit down with us." Mami replied.

"Thank you." Homura sat down and just stared blankly at Hitomi, with her usual stoic look.

"That was all I needed to ask you." Hitomi stood up at the sight of Kyousuke arriving. "Thank you very much, Tomoe-san. It was nice talking to you."

"You're welcome, Shizuki-san." Mami said warmly. "I'm sorry if I wasn't much help, though."

"I'll take my leave now. Please enjoy your lunch, Tomoe-san and Akemi-san."

"See you around, Shizuki-san." Mami said while she waved a hand at the green-eyed girl walking away from their table. Homura took out her packed lunch and started eating.

_"That was a close one." _Mami heaved a sigh of relief via telepathy.

_"We have to be careful, though. We can't let any civilians get involved in our world. Shizuki Hitomi will truly have a difficult time understanding how the system works, and how it affected Miki Sayaka."_ Homura's voice was in its usual serious tone, even in telepathy.

_"That's true."_ Mami said in an agreeing tone.

_"We'll have to keep ourselves silent." _Homura said firmly. "_It's for the best."_

* * *

><p>That afternoon, as Homura and Mami walked to the school gate, Hitomi waved a hand at the two of them.<p>

"I never thought the two of you even walk together on the way home." The green-haired girl noticed.

Mami laughed a bit. "Well, we happen to walk the same direction to get home."

"I see." Hitomi giggled. "It's kind of strange for me to say, but somehow looking at you two walking together shows an aura of being a couple."

Mami laughed again, while Homura turned the other way, her cheeks began feeling warm.

"Oh, my. Akemi-san and I are just really good friends." Somehow, the usage of the word _just _caused Mami to feel a sudden ache in heart.

_Just friends. _

_That's all we'll ever be, Homura._

"Anyway, Kamijou-kun is already on his way here. I shouldn't keep you. Please be safe on your way."

The two of them were silent as Hitomi left the scene. Homura didn't know what kind of facade she'd put up after this incident…somehow, she sensed the pain Mami felt.

"Well, shall we go?" Mami suddenly tapped the raven-haired girl's shoulder. Homura looked up and saw Mami's smiling face, her yellow orbs brightened as the sunset shone upon them.

"Mami-san…?"

"Yes?" Mami seemed startled.

"I'm so sorry." The black-haired girl whispered.

"For what?"

"Kamijou-kun!"

This sudden scream alerted both Homura and Mami; their soul gems glowed and sensed the miasma in the air.

"This way, Mami-san!" Homura exclaimed as she pulled the blonde girl by the hand. As they both ran, the surroundings blurred, realizing they entered a wraith's barrier. Homura held Mami's hand tightly while searching for both Hitomi and Kyousuke within the barrier.

"Why is this happening now?!" Homura exclaimed frustratingly.

"We can't afford getting them in danger. It'll be best if we split up looking for them, Homura." Mami let go of Homura's hand and quickly transformed into her magical girl form. With a musket in her hand, the blonde girl pointed east. "You go that way, Homura-chan."

_Homura-chan? _For the first time, someone had called her the same manner her pink-haired beloved used to. She nodded in agreement; she changed into her magical girl outfit as she ran eastward. The surroundings continued to blur and she seemed to run endlessly in the middle of nowhere. Wraiths began appearing on all sides, their voices loud and roaring as the miasma thickened.

_This is bad, really bad. _

Another scream. The raven-haired girl's eyes narrowed as the wraiths grew taller and the barrier got blurred and darker.

_Give me strength, Madoka…_

Homura's determination made her purple soul gem shine bright. With that bright light her rose bow appeared and dozens of purple arrows hit each wraith, disintegrating them almost at the same time. Arrows disappeared with the wraiths through the thickening miasma within the barrier.

"Aaah! Help me!"

Upon hearing that scream, Homura tightened the grip on her rose bow and flew with great speed. Having traced the direction where the cry came from, Homura saw a frightened Hitomi, surrounded by a group of wraiths in a circle. The evil laughter frightened the green-haired girl as the wraiths came closer. Kamijou was behind her, unconscious with blood across his forehead.

_This is a bad dream, isn't it?_ Hitomi thought.

The green-haired girl closed her eyes.

_Ugh._

Mami slams onto the barrier's invisible wall. She fell on her knees and got her hands on the not-so-visible ground. She panted for breath and saw the wraiths disappearing and reappearing in alternates. The gravity inside the barrier was with greater intensity, the miasma is thickening every second and Mami could feel the suffocation from within.

Somehow, her way of fighting had been faltering ever since entering the barrier.

Distracted.

That was her feeling all this time while she fought…distracted from Hitomi's mistaken remark about her and Homura.

_The aura of being a couple…_ Mami thought of it repeatedly with matching desperation. She tried standing up. She faltered, ending up balancing herself with her left knee and left hand. Raising her right hand, a glowing yellow light erupted and formed into a musket. She did a back flip, her feet bounced off the barrier's invisible wall. Flying forward, her eyes narrowed as she aimed her musket and pulled the trigger. The wraith dissolved; with more muskets appearing and she fired at every wraith in sight. Landing on the ground, a gigantic musket appeared in between Mami's hands. The aim was the rest of the wraiths roaring loudly, further blurring the surrounding within the barrier.

Mami's hands held on the gigantic musket, one eye closed as the aim was locked.

"TIRO…"

Bright yellow light shined as she focused all her magic for this shot.

"FINALE!"

A loud blast from the musket disintegrated the wraiths, their roar was of pain. The bright light faded after a minute with Mami falling on her knees, her transformation dropped. She felt tired, really tired. Tears were welling from her yellow eyes as countless grief cubes rained.

* * *

><p>Purple arrows pierced through the wraiths surrounding the unconscious Kamijou and Hitomi who had her eyes closed. The explosion was so loud that even the roaring of the wraiths weren't heard anymore. Hitomi wasn't sure what was going on, as she feared that her life and Kamijou's would end here and now, in the clutches of those terrifying, faceless creatures.<p>

When the purple light faded, the surroundings stopped blurring and the barrier dissipated. The usual busy street came back into view. It suddenly became silent and when Hitomi opened her eyes, no strange creatures were there. There was only her and Kamijou. The boy was still unconscious despite the loud roaring noise and explosion from earlier. The green-haired girl looked around, only to see that people around continued walking. Not even aware that horrifying things like those wraiths exist.

Homura reverted back to her school uniform as she ran. Her purple soul gem shone bright, trying to trace where Mami had gone to. _Mami-san, Mami-san!_

The raven-haired girl's features were a mix of worry and frustration. She was finding Mami's magical trace to be slowly fading. She thought of not leaving Mami alone by herself; but she knows how assertive Mami can be when she makes decisions. Homura ran faster, panting for breath as a little wish echoed in her mind.

_Please Mami-san, please hang in there._

* * *

><p>Her soul gem was black, save for a very tiny yellow speck.<p>

Mami breathed heavily, her soul gem was at her palm. Her arms couldn't move even if she told her mind to do so. The sound of footsteps alerted her, sensing that someone was coming. The blonde girl tried standing up, but to no avail. She wailed in pain, her right leg bled badly.

_Homura…_ Mami's eyes blurred with the tears springing from them.

Saying her name gave an ache in the blonde girl's heart.

_No… I can't…_ Mami tried to muster the words. _I can't…leave Homura…alone._

She breathed heavily and looked up.

_My time…is…up…isn't it? If…it is, then…will I see you…? Will…you…finally…come…to take…me away?_

Gradually, slowly, Mami's vision started to blacken. Before she sank into blackness, she saw the raven-haired girl come to her aid.

"Don't leave me, Mami-san! I—!"

Her pale face and purple eyes were the last things to register in her mind as she fell into unconsciousness.

"…love you…"

Not sure if the blonde girl heard it or not, but Homura saw a peaceful smile on Mami's face.

* * *

><p><em>Oh, yeah! Way to go, Homu! This is the actual path I want the story to head into. I am very happy that it ended up the way it is in this chapter despite the writer's block. The next chapter is already in progress, so please stay tuned for that! ;)<em>


	14. Dreizehn: What We Are To Each Other

**Author's note: **_Hi there! It's been a while since I updated. I had to take care a few things and work and writer's block are getting on the way too. A lot of suggestions had been given by great people and I had to do a lot of manga reading and rewatching of the anime during my free time in order to have ideas for this chapter. I'm very happy on how this turned out, but I had to divide the entire piece into two chapters. This chapter is the first part of the piece I've been writing for 3 months now, and the other part which will be the next chapter is still in the works. Ideas and suggestions given to me had been quite a handful in making this chapter possible. The order's just mashed up a bit, but most of the things you'll see in this chapter were all from suggestions by a very good friend, fortunelestion. The rest came from my own boggled mind and a little bit of help from my other Puella Magi loving friends. Anyways, here's the latest chapter of the story. It's been more than a year since I published this story and I thank all the people who've followed the story up to this point. The next chapter is already in the works and I intend to finish it sometime soon. As long as writer's block doesn't get in the way. Thanks again and more Homu X Mami goodness!_

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><p><em>Dreizehn: What We Are To Each Other<em>

_Mami-san, Mami-san!_

Homura frantically thought of Mami as she ran. Sensing Mami's magical trace to be fading slowly, her heart was beating heavily, an aching sensation thumped in her chest. That lingering fear began to resurface—along with that feeling of dread…

It's the same feeling she faced during her repeated battles with _Walpurgisnacht._

The feeling of failure…

Failing to protect the only person who cared for her was the most dreadful feeling for Homura. There was no time to even question that feeling. All she knew from that point on…

All that she knew was she cared for the blonde girl, too, after all.

_Please Mami-san, please hang in there._

The streetlights turned on as the sunset crept the night sky. Homura kept running, eventually making a left turn until she ran into a dark alley. The light from the flickering lamppost wasn't giving that much help. Homura's soul gem glowed brighter, sensing that Mami was nearby. She slowed her pace down a little and saw bloodstains on the stoned pavement.

_Oh no…_

As she followed the stains, it dawned on Homura that the battle here was an intense one. The presence of residual smoke and ash could tell her that much. Broken trash containers were all over the place. The cement walls were filled with bullet marks. The bloodstains were becoming thicker as she was getting closer.

A right turn.

Homura's purple eyes widened as she saw what appears to be Mami's arm. She rushed to that dark part of what appears to be another street, and through that darkness she saw the blonde girl slumped against the wall. Her lower body was bathed in blood and Mami's soul gem was black. She held the blonde girl in her arms and used the grief cubes she got to cleanse the blonde girl's soul gem. The corruption in Mami's soul gem slowly dissipated, somehow that gave Homura relief that she came in time. Homura shook Mami's shoulder a little—an effort to somehow check whether she was still in fact—alive.

"Mami-san…" The black-haired girl's voice was soft, barely above a whisper. "Please, Mami-san…please be okay…"

Mami's eyes were slowly closing; her right arm went limp and finally gave out, hitting the stoned floor gently. Homura shook her shoulder again, this time she shook with desperation…

_No, this can't be…_

The thought of it all came back, the same moment when she had her in her arms—lifeless. Kaname Madoka died after defeating the dreaded Walpurgisnacht…

And now, it had to happen again…to that only person in this new world who cared for her. Tears had begun trickling down her cheeks.

"Don't leave me, Mami-san! I—!"

Holding Mami's left hand, she made a whisper: a soft, yet an audible one for her to hear.

"…love you…"

Mami thought she was in delirium…that what she heard was just an effect of her being too weak. The way the words echoed in her mind somehow made her feel that they were real. Mami felt calm…with warmth blossoming in her heart.

_If it's really true, then I don't have any regrets anymore._

Everything went black.

The corruption in Mami's soul gem was all gone, so Homura was certain her blonde friend was safe from harm. Mami was unconscious, but she was very much alive. Her wounds were beginning to heal. Homura thought of having her rest at her place for the healing process to speed up. Her place wasn't too far from where they were, so she got Mami on her back, secured her arms and have them wrapped around her shoulders. And though Mami was a bit heavier, Homura managed to carry her friend and walked out of that dark street. The main road isn't really far off, so they'd make it out there within a few minutes.

As Homura made the turn to her left, she pretty much could see the light at the end of the alleyway leading to the main road. Finally, it won't be long enough and she could easily get a cab to get to her apartment. As her foot stepped into the main road, instead of feeling relieved that they made it, she felt that fine hairs rose on the back of her neck. This was pretty strange…she seemed to have that feeling that someone was watching. Homura's eyes moved from right to left, her brows furrowed as she tried finding out who or what could be watching them. There was nothing on both directions and the sound of the busy main road only populated her ears. After standing idle for a few moments, a cab stopped and took the two of them as passengers and left the scene after a few seconds.

* * *

><p>In a hotel room across the street, two girls watched as the cab left. Both of them each wore a ring with a glowing gem.<p>

One of the girls wore a Shirome school uniform, her face had such a peaceful expression and her hair was white like the clouds. The other girl wore a Mitakihara Middle School uniform, the same one Homura and Mami wear. And her hair was dark brown…no, it was darker than that…it can be mistaken for black. This girl had her head rested on the white-haired girl's lap, with a smile on her face as fingers ran through that dark brown hair.

"I never knew there were other magical girls who went to Mitakihara Middle School like you do. Very interesting, isn't it, Kirika?" The peaceful girl's face wore a sweet smile as she continued entwining her fingers at those dark brown locks.

"Indeed, Oriko. This'll be a fine competition." Kirika got up and kissed Oriko's neck lustfully. The white-haired girl shuddered as Kirika ran fingers on her back, the warmth of her hands let out a soft gasp of air. As they made their way to bed, they playfully shoved each other and Oriko made her way on top of Kirika, their hands clasped together, both of them smiled as they looked into each other's eyes.

As Oriko turned the light off, a soft giggle could be heard from the room, with rustling sounds following suit.

* * *

><p>Mami's eyes opened slowly. Blurry and uncertain, she moaned painfully…realizing that her right leg got injured during that battle. When her vision cleared, the first thing her eyes saw was the murky lighting of a small bedroom.<p>

"How…are you feeling?"

Mami turned to her side and saw Homura sitting near the bedside table. She tried getting up…slowly, yet surely. Mami still felt pain on her body, and it made her frown. Homura came to her aid, their faces close to each other as she put a pillow against Mami's back. The blonde girl felt stunned…she couldn't explain this feeling, but it seemed that her own eyes kept locked into Homura's purple orbs. Those purple irises…always never failing to give her awe by simply looking at them.

"There," whispered Homura. "Is this better?"

An awkward silence. It took a few seconds before Homura whispered out.

"Mami-san…?"

"I-I'm sorry." The blonde girl stuttered. "W-where…are we?"

"My place." Homura replied. The blonde girl looked around. The bedroom's lighting was murky…a lampshade made the light bulb from the lamp quite darker than it is. She noticed the younger girl's study table…a laptop turned on as well as a little desk lamp. A first aid kit and rolled bandage were on top of the bedside table, with a little basin of lukewarm water and white towels. Mami lowered her head and noticed she wasn't wearing her school uniform. This realization made her yelp softly.

"Is…something wrong?" asked Homura, in a concerned voice.

"You…?" Mami couldn't figure out how to say it. Her upper body was bandaged, as well as her right leg. She felt a warm sensation under the bandages, realizing that Homura used magic on them to make the healing faster. The blonde girl pulled the blanket to cover herself, almost reaching her shoulders.

"You…mended my wounds…" Mami blushed. A nervous feeling welled inside the blonde girl as she thought of the possibility of Homura seeing her naked while treating her injuries.

The black-haired girl noticed the blush on her senpai's cheeks. Feeling shy, Homura bowed her head and replied, "Umm…yes."

Another awkward silence—at least for Homura, it was. She felt her own heart pounding against her chest. She couldn't understand why that was happening.

Homura tried breaking the silence. She lifted her head to say a word. And just when she was about to, she got caught off-guard by the blonde girl who smiled at her.

"Thank you, Homura. It seems that I owe you twice now."

It was a beautiful smile of gratitude and appreciation. Images of a smiling Madoka flashed in her mind the moment she saw this. The look on Mami's smiling face made her shy away and turned to the opposite direction. _Please…don't look at me like that…_ Homura couldn't help herself. She remembered the words she uttered before Mami lost consciousness earlier. The black-haired girl couldn't understand. She felt scared of losing someone important…

_Someone important to me._ Homura thought. The words came right out of her mouth. Up until this point, she isn't sure whether the blonde girl heard it or not. Homura shook her head to will the distraction away. She felt now was time to settle this…her true feelings. If she was indeed, feeling love for Mami.

The blonde girl gasped softly, with her index finger pointed towards Homura's soul gem.

"Your soul gem..."

Homura shook her head. "It's okay, Mami-san." The gem's purple light was dim and it was dark almost halfway. The blonde girl took something out of her skirt's pocket. There were several grief cubes…and she handed them over to Homura.

"It's…not much, I know. But…please do take them." Mami said as she took Homura's gem into her hand and the grief cubes started absorbing the corruption in it.

"M-Mami-san…" Homura caught herself. She wanted to make sure she mustered enough courage to bring the subject up. The blonde girl stared at her intently, waiting for the raven-haired girl to say another word. Homura thought it wouldn't be fair to keep Mami waiting—given the fact that the blonde girl showed enough bravery to admit her feelings to her awhile back. Taking a deep breath, Homura spoke again.

"I…" _Is it this hard?_ Even in her thoughts, Homura felt quite uncertain.

"Yes?" Mami was still staring at her.

"I…" Homura closed her eyes. "N-No…"

"Homura?" Mami felt concerned now.

"I… I'm…sorry…" The younger girl apologized. "This…is all new to me. I…"

"Is it about that thing earlier?" The blonde girl asked.

* * *

><p>A loud explosion lit the sky in the city of Kazamino. Kyoko landed on the ground, her spear disappearing as her transformation dropped. After collecting the grief cubes, she cleansed her soul gem and the used ones were thrown to the Incubator's mouth-like back. Kyoko really never bothered asking it about what happens to the grief cubes once it's eaten by the cat-like creature. I guess at this point in time, it would never matter. After a few minutes, she and the Incubator parted ways. Lately these days, their interactions were just pretty casual. Kyoko would defeat the wraiths, collect grief cubes and use them. Once they're used up, Kyuubey will arrive and take those used cubes into its care.<p>

Just as Kyoko was about to walk away, she sensed someone was coming. Sounds of footsteps were getting louder by the second.

"It's been a while." The voice sounded icy-cold, with no emotion whatsoever.

Kyoko's brows furrowed and immediately recognized who it was.

"I never thought I'd see your face again." Kyoko's tone was quite sarcastic.

"But I survived, it seems." There was no change in the mysterious person's voice.

"What brings you here…?" The redhead never let her guard down. She made a swift turn and within a second her ring flashed and her long spear came spinning in her hand. The sharp end of it eventually aimed at the mysterious girl's chin, finally revealing her face under the moonlight.

"Kanna Nico!" Kyoko shouted. Her feeling of disgust was evident.

"Still being that smug I know, yes?" Nico's voice was cold. There wasn't any trace of emotion in her voice. She just reluctantly stared at spear's sharp end.

"Like you know anything, Kanna!" Kyoko's anger escalated, her spear ready to take Nico on. The platinum-haired girl takes a hold of the spear with her left hand and spun it in the opposite direction—pointed towards its red-haired wielder.

"I don't understand why you're feeling disgust towards me, Sakura." Nico's eyes stared at Kyoko's coldly, her left hand tightened its grip at the spear. To Kyoko's surprise, a bright silver light shone and the spear dissolved into red specks.

"I only came here to give you a little warning." Nico said, barely above a whisper.

Kyoko's eyes widened as a tablet appeared on Nico's hand. The platinum-haired girl stared at the gadget intently for a few seconds and spoke again, "Watch out for forces we don't know of. They're nearby and we honestly don't know what they're up to."

"Kanna…?"

"This is troublesome." Fierce green orbs were fixed at Kyoko's red ones. "The others faced them but couldn't match their combined strength. I doubt if your strength can even defeat those two."

"Those two..?" Kyoko wondered. "Oi, Kanna, what are you…?"

"Take my advice. You best be on your guard." The platinum-haired magical girl walked away and disappeared into the darkness.

_Those two. I wonder what that smug is talking about?_ Kyoko thought.

* * *

><p>Homura was stunned. Her heart beat harder against her chest. "You…?" She couldn't finish her sentence. She wasn't sure what words to say. Mami closed her eyes and nodded simply.<p>

"I did." Mami held on to Homura's hand and looked at her purple eyes. "And if…if ever I did…die back there…then…"

The sudden hug caught Mami off-guard.

"I was scared." Homura whispered. "I was really scared. All this time, I've thought of betraying her memory…"

"Homura…"

"A lot of times I feel confused," continued Homura. "Feeling this way, caring for you…it's so different from how I cared for her." She lifted her hand, her fingers brushed against the red ribbon in her hair. "I don't—"

An awkward pause.

"I don't know how to do this." Homura's eyes closed and tears trickled down her cheeks. "It's all new to me. Whenever I'm around you, or when you're so kind to me…I feel guilty that I've been holding my feelings back…"

Mami's hand gently rubbed the younger girl's back and whispered to her, "I understand."

Homura looked up and gazed onto Mami's yellow eyes. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Mami-san...for not realizing it sooner."

"It's okay…" The blonde girl whispered. "Don't be too hard on yourself."

Homura nodded meekly, her head rested on the older girl's shoulders.

"Are you all right?" Mami whispered to her ear. Homura's sobs finally came to a stop and she let the older girl go. The black-haired girl nodded and smiled.

"So…?" Mami could feel the warmth on her cheeks.

"So…?" Homura wondered.

"What…are we now…?" Mami asked softly, the blush on her cheeks persisted.

_That's right._ Homura thought._ What are we now? Partners? Maybe._ They've been that for a while now, since they've been fighting the wraiths together.

_Friends?_ Homura frowned at the thought. Sure they have been…in this new world—if not for Homura's constant attempts of making herself distant. But they've never been this close in the past timelines.

_Lovers?_ Homura's cheeks blushed at the thought. Apart from the love she felt for Madoka, there's another person whom she feels the same kind of emotion for now. That person who was always kind and friendly to her. The last few days gave it all away. Mami's friendship was something she'd now treasure. And knowing her true feelings—that Mami loved her all this time. Homura felt warm, her heart felt light as she realized that Mami was there…cared for her and loved her with all her heart.

Homura suddenly heard a soft giggle, one that jolted her out of her reverie.

"Still in deep thought, huh?" Mami pressed her index finger gently at the younger girl's forehead. "Don't worry about that for now."

"Mami-san…?"

Mami gave Homura a warm embrace—making the black-haired girl's cheeks blush deeply. "What we are to each other is something we only both know. That's enough for me."

_What we are to each other… _

_Something we only both know…_ Homura closed her eyes as she felt herself melting into the warm embrace.

* * *

><p><em>Ahai, characters from Oriko and Kazumi Magica made their appearance in this chapter. Someone will also make a comeback (hopefully) in the next chapter so just stay tuned for it. <em>:D


	15. Vierzehn: I'd Make Her Smile—Always

_Author's note: I am back again! This is the continuation of the previous chapter I've uploaded. I did mention on the footnote about somebody's comeback. I had to put that in the next chapter as I had to put certain scenes from different characters in this chapter. And as always, the fluff ensues and I hope I'm able to reach that level of giving somewhat an "Awwwe!" moment. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter. This is by far, the longest one in this story, aside from Ein and Dreizehn (the previous chapter). I promise that the comeback will be on the next chapter. For now, more Homu X Mami goodness to everyone!_

* * *

><p><em>Vierzehn: I'd Make Her Smile<em>_—__Always_

Mami woke up and realized it was past midnight. Her wounds were already healed. She looked at her leg and saw that the bleeding was also gone. She got up and sat on the bed and noticed Homura, asleep on the floor using a futon.

_She…really is cute when she's asleep._ Mami giggled within herself. She then noticed Homura shift and her eyes slowly opened.

"You…need anything?" whispered Homura, her eyelids were halfway open. Mami felt amazed that the younger girl on the floor sensed she was awake.

"Just a glass of water." Came Mami's soft reply. "I think I can get it myself."

"No, let me." Homura got up and immediately grabbed the pitcher and glass from the bedside table.

"Thank you."

"No worries." Homura handed the glass over to Mami and waited her to finish drinking. When she finished, Homura set the glass aside and helped the blonde girl lie down on the bed.

"It's okay… I can do it." Mami held Homura's hand. "Thank you."

"You should go back to sleep." Homura whispered. "We still have school in the morning."

"Yeah." Mami nodded. To her surprise, Homura came close and kissed her forehead. The blonde girl blushed deeply and was left speechless for a moment.

"Good night, Mami-san." Purple orbs met startled yellow ones. It took another few seconds for Mami to respond.

"Good night…Homura-chan…" Mami smiled. Her eyes closed and she drifted back to sleep pretty fast. Homura watched the blonde girl's chest rise and fall as she slept. The smile on her face, it gave her so much to remember.

_How like her smile it was, and at the same time, how different._

She could feel warmth in her eyes but at the same time, she found herself smiling as she watched the blonde girl sleep. Homura laid herself back in the futon, her eyes slowly closed and eventually drifted off to slumber.

* * *

><p>Big, sharp claws pierced through a wraith and nothing was left from it but its grief cube and its ashes. Wearing a smug smile, Kirika picked up the cube from the ground and threw it over to a white-haired girl who stood not too far behind.<p>

"So many wraiths in this city…" Kirika mused.

"…means more humans are becoming miserable." Oriko continued.

"So, what about those two?" Kirika's transformation dropped, her outfit reverted back to her school uniform.

"Let them be." Oriko giggled softly. "If our paths cross, then it means war."

"I bet they're just weaklings…just like the _Pleaides Saints._" Kirika held onto Oriko's hand and kissed it.

"Let's not forget that there's still one of them out there." Oriko wrapped her hands around the other girl's waist, breathing in the scent of her dark brown locks. It had the smell almost similar to orchids.

"We'd be able to finish her off easily. Her comrades are all gone."

"Definitely. We don't want another competition." Oriko cupped Kirika's face, leaned in and gave her a kiss.

* * *

><p><em>Later in the morning…<em>

Homura got up, only to notice that Mami was not in bed. She quickly got out of her bedroom and looked for her.

"Mami-san…?"

She got downstairs and the smell of food somewhat awakened her senses. The black-haired girl realized that Mami was in the kitchen, and it seemed she was cooking something.

The blonde girl turned around and smiled. "Oh, you're already awake. Good morning." Mami was in her school uniform. She looked much improved from last night. Her uniform was clean and her face looked very cheerful…as if nothing had happened.

"G-Good…morning…" The black-haired girl's voice was timid.

"I'm almost done. You can sit down by the table. Everything's ready, so just please wait for me." The blonde girl said with a smile.

"Let me help."

"No, it's okay." Mami protested. "I… I want to make it up to you, you know…for saving me."

"Mami-san…"

"Now go and sit down. This should be done in a moment so please wait for me, okay?" Mami said with a giggle.

"…Okay." Homura's reply was weak, but she complied nonetheless.

After a few minutes…

"Sorry to keep you waiting." Mami had two plates on her hand. She sat beside Homura and handed one of them over.

"I apologize. I tried to make something fancier," Mami sounded contrite. "But that's what I came up with…after raiding whatever's on your kitchen."

Homura stared at her plate and noticed that Mami cooked omelet rice. It really looked nice, with the green chopped vegetable toppings and ketchup. The black-haired girl smiled at the touch of creativity her senpai displayed. _To think I didn't have that much._

"Thank you, Mami-san. It…really looks nice."

"I'm glad." Mami giggled. "Let's eat then."

Homura nodded. "Thank you so much for the meal."

After they finished, Homura went back to her room. Remembering that they still both have school to attend to, the black-haired girl had a warm shower. After that, she got into her school uniform and grabbed her bag.

When she came downstairs, she saw the blonde girl by the door, seemingly daydreaming.

"Mami-san…?" Homura called out shyly.

"Let's get going." Mami answered. "And hopefully, someone found my bag."

_Oh, yeah. She must've left it by the school gate._ Homura thought. "It's possibly at the lost and found office. Anyway, let's go. We don't want to be late."

Mami giggled. "It's always business as usual for you."

"Huh?" Homura could feel warmth on her cheeks.

"Come on, let's go." The blonde girl stepped out and Homura followed her.

* * *

><p>The moment Homura and Mami reached the school grounds, a lady approached them and asked them about a bag that was left near the gate.<p>

"That's mine." Mami replied to the lady who happened to work at the Lost and Found Office. "Something came up and I didn't realize I left it there out of rush."

"That's fine. But be mindful of your belongings next time." The lady said.

"Yes." Mami replied and bowed in appreciation. "Thank you very much."

"You're welcome. You two better get going or you'll be late for homeroom." The Lost and Found lady muttered.

Mami smiled and walked away politely. Homura followed her and soon enough, she was at Mami's side.

"Look, look!" A voice exclaimed.

"Isn't that the transfer student?" Another voice asked.

"I think her name's Akemi Homura. Jeez, the others were right. She's a mythical beauty!" There was amazement in that voice.

The chit-chat of the other students continued.

"She's everything in one package: Pretty, athletic, smart and mysterious."

"And she's walking along together with that ninth grader!"

"They've been walking together to school every day! Seems they've gotten that close, huh?"

Little did they know that Homura heard all of those, somehow it made her feel self-conscious. _I wonder if Mami-san hears them, too._

_Looks like you've got lots of admirers, huh?_ Mami said jokingly through telepathy.

_Huh?_ Homura's eyes widened. _That's…not…true at all. I mean…you're pretty, too._

_Thank you._ Mami giggled. The blonde girl's laughter rang through her ears and her mind. Homura found herself smiling—a light, warm feeling blossomed in her heart.

The two of them reached Homura's classroom a few minutes later. As they stopped by the room's door, Mami came close and whispered something to the raven-haired girl. Homura stood there, speechless and in awe.

Mami chuckled and waved a hand at her. "See you later."

It took a few seconds for Homura to respond. "Uh…yeah. See you later."

The blonde girl walked away and Homura found herself with a hand at her chest…feeling her own heartbeat.

_Me too._

A smile gleamed on Homura's face. A feeling of happiness shone in her eyes. She entered the classroom after a few seconds of idly standing where she was at.

* * *

><p><em>Some time later…<em>

"Ah, some nice fresh air at last." Kyoko laid down beneath a tree at Mitakihara's park. During the day, Kyoko would spend her time sleeping at the park or playing games at the arcade. Just as when she closed her eyes, a loud cry startled her.

"Waaaaaaaah!"

"Come on. There, there." A male voice hushed to try and stop the kid from crying. "Don't cry, Tatsuya."

"Waaaaaaaaaaah!" The little kid wailed louder.

_Tch. Why now of all days?! _Kyoko felt irritated._ Just ignore it, ignore it!_

"My ice cream! Waaaaaaah!"

_Aaaaaaaarrrgh!_ Kyoko stood up and approached the kid and his father who happened to be sitting on a bench not too far from where she was at.

"Aaaah, you're so noisy! Hey kid! Pipe it down, will ya?"

"Waaaaah!"

"Here, I'll give you this." Kyoko handed the little kid what appeared to be an ice pop. "Just quit your whining, 'kay?"

"Oh, I'm so sorry." The child's father, Kaname Tomohisa sounded apologetic. "You don't really have to."

"I don't really mind," Kyoko smiled, but her brows furrowed. "I just want your kid to pipe it down. He's getting on my nerves."

"I'm sorry and thank you very much." Tomohisa tapped little Tatsuya. "Tatsuya, what do you say to her?"

"Nee-chan, thank you!" The little boy exclaimed, his voice sounded very cute making Kyoko blush a bit.

"Don't mention it. Jeez, you're embarrassing me."

"And one more thing," Kyoko's face became serious. "Don't ever waste food."

The little kid stared at her quietly as she spoke.

"There'd be still poor saps out there who'd be happy to eat that ice cream off the ground. That's how precious food is, ya hear?"

"Yup, ok!" Tatsuya exclaimed. "Eat ice cweam like a good boy!"

"Well, as long as you understand." Kyoko pulled off a wry smile. "Just don't let me catch ya dropping ice cream again, 'kay?"

"Okay!"

"Again, thank you very much." Tomohisa said.

"No, really. Just don't mind it." Kyoko said and waved a hand. "See ya."

_What the heck?_ Kyoko thought. _Now I ended up helping some kid._

She left the park after a few moments and headed for the city's bus station.

* * *

><p><em>Mitakihara City.<em>

Kanna Nico looked above and read the sign from where she was seated on the bus.

_This city is really different…compared to Asunaro._

_Asunaro._

Nico's eyes closed as she remembered the city she left behind. With all of the _Pleaides Saints_ gone…and being the lone survivor, the nostalgia caused her heart to churn.

_I swear…I will avenge all of you. _

_Kazumi, Kaoru, Umika, Saki, Satomi, Mirai. _

_Everyone._

Nico stared at her tablet, the light from the screen reflected on those green irises. She continued reading the geographic details of the city she was heading to. Interesting enough, two dots (one black and one white) seem to be glowing on what appears to be Mitakihara city's map.

_You won't escape me, you scums._ The platinum-haired girl's eyes squinted. _Once I've dealt with the two of you, I'll settle the score with Sakura._

A beeping sound from the tablet alerted her. Two more dots appeared on the map. Her brows furrowed at this realization.

_There are four in this city._ These two dots blinked on the area of the map where it showed Mitakihara Middle School, one purple and one yellow to be precise. Nico's advanced technology made it easier for her to track magical girls present in a particular area.

_Caution._ Nico had been practicing this ever since she began her travel. When she passed through Kazamino to get to Mitakihara, she did her best not to engage herself again in a brawl with Sakura Kyoko. She didn't have time to that night, as her objective was pretty simple—to reach Mitakihara and hunt down the people who wiped out most of the _Pleaides Saints._

But realizing that there are two more magical girls within the same territory, Nico understood the possibility of them being threats to her mission. _They might or might not be._ The green-eyed girl tapped on the screen twice to zoom the map in. _Mitakihara Middle School, eh?_

After several minutes, the bus stopped just right across the shopping complex. Nico got off the bus and stared at the surroundings.

_Very different. _Nico looked around and saw the pack of busy pedestrians, the high-rise buildings and the large area of the shopping complex. She walked along with the busy pedestrians to cross the street. Still looking at her surroundings in awe, she didn't notice she already bumped into someone.

"Oww!"

"Ugh." Nico's reaction remained monotonous.

"Are you okay, kid?" The woman asked.

Nico fixed the bonnet-like hat she was wearing and apologized. "I'm sorry."

"Nah, it's okay." The older woman answered. She wore a maroon suit, making Nico realize that she must be working in a corporate office. "I wasn't watching where I was going."

"No, I was the one not paying attention. I'm really sorry." Nico's voice was soft, yet it was loud enough for the woman to hear regardless of the busy street noise.

"I take it that you're not from here." The woman realized.

"That's correct." Nico responded. "I'm…on my way to this place." The platinum-haired girl showed her a tag in blue and white. The woman's eyes widened as she realized what it was.

"Wow, you must be really rich." The woman said in awe. Nico happened to be holding the reservations tag for the classiest and the most in-demand hotel in the city. "You're gonna be staying there, I suppose."

"That's correct." Nico replied.

"Well, you're not too far off." The woman smiled. "If you want, I can drop you off there, considering all the luggage you have."

"That won't be necessary." The green-eyed girl replied.

"But from the way you looked earlier, you seemed like you didn't know where to go." The woman chuckled. Nico kept herself quiet at that.

"Tell you what, since I still have that much time," The woman continued. "Let me drop you off there. A young girl carrying this much baggage won't make it there if you just walk."

"T-thank you." Nico stuttered. "I'm so sorry for the trouble."

"No worries." The woman flashed a smile.

_From inside the car…_

"So you really came here on your own?"

"Yes." Nico replied.

"Good thing your parents allowed you to travel alone." The woman noted.

"I…" Nico paused for a moment. "I don't have a family."

"Oh, jeez." The woman felt sad. "I'm so sorry."

Nico shook her head in return. "No worries."

"You know," The woman stepped on the brakes for the red signal. "You remind me of someone I know. She's kinda like you, very quiet and a bit eerie."

"Huh?" Nico was taken aback by this remark.

"But she's a very good girl." The older woman continued. "And she's like the same age as you. If I see her, I'd introduce you someday."

"I see." Nico stared down at her own feet while she said this.

"And I think you're a good girl, too." The older woman remarked.

"T-Thank you," Nico stammered. "Umm…?"

_"Kaname Junko,"_ the woman introduced herself. "Nice to meet you…"

_"Kanna Nico."_ The green-eyed girl replied. "Nice to meet you, too. And thank you for the help."

"No worries." Junko winked an eye at her. "We're almost there so just relax."

Nico couldn't help but smile and find the woman quite fascinating. She nodded her head to say yes.

* * *

><p>School was normal for the most part. Homura did notice Hitomi's silence throughout the first half of the day. Kamijou seemed a bit quiet too. The bandage on his forehead showed that he was injured from that incident last night. It's a good thing it wasn't serious. The two had not spoken to each other though during school.<p>

As the school bell rang for lunch break, Homura stood up and held a bento in her hand. She decided she'd have lunch at the roof today. Just as when she was about to step out of the door, someone called her attention.

"Akemi-san."

Homura turned to find out who it was. _Shizuki-san._

"Yes?"

Just as when Hitomi was about to speak, someone called Homura's attention out from the door.

"Homura-san!"

Homura turned around and saw Mami there out at the door.

"Did I make you wait?" The blonde girl asked.

Homura shook her head. "No, you're just in time."

"Oh, Shizuki-san. Hello there." Mami shot a greeting at Hitomi.

"Hello, Tomoe-senpai." The green-haired girl greeted back with much class. "I trust you're having a good day?"

Mami giggled. "Oh, yes. Thank you for asking." The air of politeness was there and Homura smiled at the thought of Mami being very happy.

"Well, Homura-san and I will have lunch together. Do you want to come along?" The blonde girl asked.

Hitomi shook her head in response. "That is so nice of you. But I will be inviting someone to have lunch with me today." Her eyes fixed on Kamijou-kun who was not too far away, talking to Nakazawa and some other classmates.

"I see. Well, I hope someday the four of us can eat lunch together." The blonde girl said with a smile.

Hitomi smiled in return. "That'd be wonderful."

"Let's go, Homura-san." Mami held the black-haired girl's hand. Homura, caught by surprise, could feel her cheeks warm up. Her reply was a stammering "Yes."

As the two left, Hitomi couldn't help but smile. _Akemi-san and Tomoe-senpai are really close._

* * *

><p><em>Up at the roof…<em>

"Close your eyes."

"Eh?" Homura was clueless.

"Just close your eyes." Mami said with excitement.

"Okay…" The black-haired girl wasn't still sure but she finally went along. She closed her eyes and waited in anticipation.

"Okay, you can open them now."

When Homura opened her eyes, Mami was in front of her, holding a small cupcake using both hands. It had sprinkles on them with a very tiny candle on top. The purple-eyed girl stared at her in awe and was speechless.

"I…made this earlier during cooking class." Mami said shyly. "I kept this one just for you so you can try it."

Homura smiled. "Thank you. I'm more than glad."

Mami lit the candle using her magic and leaned close to the black-haired girl. "Do the honors."

Homura blew the candle softly. As the flame went off, Homura closed her eyes and remained silent for a few moments. When the black-haired girl opened her eyes, she gazed at Mami's yellow ones and whispered, "Thank you."

Mami smiled and embraced her. "Homura, I—"

"I know." Homura returned the gesture. "Me too."

That lunch time was the happiest one they've had since teaming up. Mami felt very happy seeing Homura smiling whenever they talk.

_I know she will not get over you so quickly, Madoka-san. But I hope I will do. I promise that I'd make her smile__—__always._

* * *

><p>After school, Homura and Mami were walking down the street. Having dropped by the shopping complex, Homura suddenly asked her blonde friend if they could drop by the CD store.<p>

"Sure." Mami happily agreed.

As they went inside, Homura heard the music in-store and it caught her attention. Mami was looking and skimming through the CD's that are at display. She noticed Homura walking towards the CD store's staff.

_Maybe she found something interesting._ Mami mused.

Homura soon came back and held her hand.

"Here." Homura handed one of the headphones to the blonde girl. Mami smiled as Homura wore a headphone and put the CD into the player. Moving closer to Homura, a soft, relaxing intro of a song was heard. Mami closed her eyes as she listened to the song.

_If you love me like you tell me_

_Please be careful with my heart_

_You can take it just don't break it_

_Or my world will fall apart_

Though the song's lyrics was in English, Mami quite understood at least the gist of it. She soon found herself holding Homura's hand as the song continued.

_You are my first romance_

_And I'm willing to take a chance_

_That 'till life is through_

_I'll still be loving you_

_I will be true to you_

_Just a promise from you will do_

_From the very start_

_Please be careful with my heart_

"Mami-san…"

Mami removed the headphones as she noticed Homura's mouth open. "You're saying something?"

"Please..." Homura muttered as tears trickled down her cheeks. "…stay with me."

Mami gave the black-haired girl a warm hug.

"I will. You have my word."

"Thank you." Homura smiled through her tears.

* * *

><p><em>I hope you stay tuned for the next chapter. Major, major developments and a comeback, I promise!<em>

_The part with Kyoko and Tatsuya was based loosely from Madoka Magica Portable. I just changed it quite a bit._

_The song cited in the chapter is titled, "Please Be Careful With My Heart" (Jose Mari Chan, © 2010 Universal Music Group)_


	16. Fünfzehn: No Matter What

**Author's note:** _Hi everyone! It's me again with an update. I did promise on the last chapter's footnote about major developments. But the chapter is getting quite lengthy so I had to divide it again. This is the first part of it, while the second one is currently on the works. I would need more re-watching and re-reading for more inspiration. Anyhow, I hope that I've been able to convey such development through this writing. This chapter had been the most challenging as well, due to my constantly changing schedules and the stress my upcoming departure has been giving me. Thank you so very much to the people who left their reviews for the last chapter (UnreactiveDynamite, BlackHawk26 - and I'm glad to see you back, too! and redlerred7). As always, thank you very, very much to all the ones who have followed this piece so far. The support motivates me to write more and give my best. And here's the latest chapter. More Homu x Mami goodness to everyone!_

* * *

><p><em>Fünfzehn: No Matter What<em>

That same afternoon, Homura and Mami headed down to the shopping complex's bus station. Mami decided taking a bus going to her place since it'll be a long walk if they didn't. As they were inside the station waiting for the next bus to arrive, the blonde girl looked around and saw a vending machine.

"Homura, I'll get us some drinks we can have while on the bus. Stay here, okay?"

Homura nodded and remained at the spot where she stood. Mami went straight to where the vending machine was. It wasn't too far from where Homura stood so she could see the raven-haired girl even from that distance. After getting the drinks, she turned around and accidentally bumped into someone.

"Ah, I'm so sorry." Mami sounded contrite and bowed her head. The other person had no vocal reaction, but just raised a hand to fix her bonnet-like hat. When the blonde girl noticed the person didn't react, Mami looked up to ask.

"Are you all right, Miss?"

The platinum-girl remained silent but a nod on her head indicated a positive response.

"I'm really sorry for the trouble." Mami apologized again and took a step to walk back to Homura, who still waited not too far away.

"Wait." The platinum-haired girl mumbled.

"Yes?" The blonde girl wondered.

"You're a magical girl, aren't you?" The platinum-haired girl's voice remained cold and monotonous. Mami's eyes widened as she heard this.

"You're…?" The blonde girl retreated and her brows furrowed as she tried to look at the platinum-haired girl face to face.

Meanwhile, Homura, who was not too far behind, already saw what had happened. She tried to walk silently near them without being noticed. It was a success. The black-haired girl came by Mami's side and tried confronting the mysterious perpetrator.

"What's going on here?" Homura's voice was firm. She stepped out in front, attempting to shield Mami from any possible danger.

"You as well…" The green eyed girl murmured. "A magical girl…"

"Huh?" Homura was taken aback by those words. Both her and Mami's soul gems glowed, while the mysterious girl's eyes squinted and sensed an incoming danger. Miasma was thick in the air.

"Wraiths." The green-eyed girl whispered while the whole surroundings blurred. There's no mistaking it, they were all inside a wraith's barrier.

Wraiths appeared all over the place. Homura, Mami and the mysterious girl knew the dangers that were coming. The black-haired girl's soul gem glowed, her uniform was replaced with her Magical girl outfit in seconds. Mami followed suit and transformed as well. A musket appeared in the blonde girl's hand and shot the wraith who stood not too far from where the mysterious girl stood.

"Just who…are you?" Mami interrogated, her musket now aimed at the said girl.

"Hush…" The platinum-haired girl raised a hand and turned. The wraith from behind her disintegrated. The glove from that hand seemed burnt from that wave she blasted. A bright silver light shone and the mysterious girl transformed. Homura and Mami took a step back as they witnessed this girl's transformation. Her clothes were replaced by a paratrooper suit, with a pair of aviator goggles and a leather helmet. A parachute backpack and harness could also be seen. Homura's eyes narrowed as she realized.

"She's a magical girl, too."

"No wonder she was able to sense us." Mami stared in awe.

The third magical girl lowered her goggles to cover her eyes. She spread her arms and a bright silver light glowed from both of her hands.

"Don't tell me…" Homura stepped forward.

_"Rendere…"_

"What the…?" Mami's eyes widened.

_"…O Romperlo!"_

The land shook as a wave of magical power blasted and destroyed the wraiths along the path. Homura shielded Mami with an embrace and a translucent purple colored barrier covered them both. The blast itself was so strong that even its caster got blown away and hit the brick wall a couple of meters away.

When the light disappeared, Homura's barrier effect wore off. The black-haired girl stood and looked around, in search for the platinum-haired girl. Mami fired her muskets at the remaining wraiths that roared. Homura's rose bow appeared and fired an arrow—of which it split into thousands more in seconds and destroyed the wraiths from above.

Mami spun with grace and four muskets fired a shot going forward. Her ever graceful _Tiro Volley_ attack made it possible to summon up to four muskets and fire them at the same time and advance on her enemies.

"Homura-chan!" Mami called out.

"I know." Homura knew what the blonde girl was thinking. She could feel the other magical girl's presence—the trace of the strong spell from earlier could still be felt. _Where did she come from?_ Homura thought. When she looked around, she saw something slowly emerging from a pile of broken rubble. The third magical girl was able to get the bricks off of her, holding what seems to be a crowbar. The wounds she inflicted were healing incredibly faster—of which Homura wasn't surprised in seeing.

_Her powers can heal her wounds faster…like Miki Sayaka's._ Homura's brows furrowed and stared quietly at the girl as she stood. Her eyes weren't covered by the goggles anymore. The roar of the wraiths alerted her and she tightened the grip of her weapon. She jumped high, aiming for the wraiths above. Homura followed her, the angelic wings from her back emerged.

Not too far away, Mami was following both of them using her ribbons to swing to and fro over bricked walls and stoned fences.

_Homura-chan! _The blonde girl called out through telepathy.

_It's okay. Let's observe her and her abilities for now._ Homura gave her senpai an assuring look.

_Let's hope she's not after this territory._ Mami swung gracefully and made a left turn.

_We will find out._ Homura's eyes widened as a bright light shone not too far from where they were at.

"Aaaah!" Mami screamed as she saw the paratrooper magical girl being thrown several meters away and slammed at a stone fence. Homura looked down and aimed her bow at the last of the wraiths, the strongest one in this bunch. When her purple arrow fired, thousands more split from it. Mami jumped high, her two clasped hands released, with her arms wide open. Thousands of muskets filled the sky and rained shots from above.

Not too far away, the paratrooper magical girl opened her eyes at the sight of bright yellow and purple light mixing in the sky. The loud explosion rammed her ears and the sound of the barrier slowly dissipating told her that this encounter is finally over. Her magic started healing her injuries—her extraordinary regenerating abilities never fail her in tough situations like this.

Homura and Mami both landed on their feet, both stared at the traces of purple and yellow from the sky. Their surroundings returned to what it was—the bus station. Grief cubes were all over the bus station's main waiting platform. The vending machine ended up being damaged—with bullet holes on its steel exterior. Homura's transformation dropped, so did Mami's too. Since there aren't any people, Homura took advantage of collecting the grief cubes from the ground.

"That was close." Mami stared at the paratrooper magical girl. "A person can get killed letting her guard down."

The paratrooper magical girl had no reaction. While her eyes were fixed on both Homura and Mami, her transformation came undone. Mami came close and offered a hand to help the platinum-haired girl stand up.

"You seem to be okay." Mami remarked. She opened her palm and gave the green-eyed girl some grief cubes to cleanse her soul gem.

"Who are you?" Homura asked. Her voice sounded icy cold.

No word from the platinum-haired girl.

"Homura-chan," Mami held onto the raven-haired girl's hand. _Maybe she's trying to collect herself. She seems quite sad._

Homura stepped back as they both stared at the other girl. When she finished cleansing her soul gem, she raised a hand and fixed her bonnet-like hat.

"_Kanna Nico._" The girl whispered. Her voice was monotonous.

"You did sense we're magical girls, too." Mami's brows furrowed a bit. "You're not here for a territory war, are you?"

"Revenge." Nico said bluntly.

Homura's eyes squinted.

"My comrades…" Nico murmured. "…six of the _Pleiades Saints_ were all killed. I was the only one left."

_"Pleiades Saints?"_ Mami was in awe.

"Named from the _Pleiades star cluster._ The stars of that cluster are named from the _Pleiades_ of the _Greek Mythology_." Homura said while her eyes closed. "In that case, you're part of a group of Magical Girls from another city, am I right?"

"Positive." Nico replied. "We protect the city of _Asunaro._"

_"Asunaro…"_ Mami crossed her arms. "I've been there once before."

"You said they were killed." Homura tapped a grief cube over her soul gem. "Killed by whom?"

"A black magical girl." Nico responded. "She has a white-haired companion with her."

"Black magical girl…" Mami mumbled.

"Is that the reason why you're here?" Homura interrogated.

"Yes." Came Nico's reply.

"Do you remember what she looks like?" Mami asked.

Nico shook her head. "Vaguely. I only remember an eye-patch and large claws."

_"Kure."_ Homura whispered.

"Homura-chan?" Mami felt stunned. "You know who that is?"

_I've met her in one of the previous timelines._ Homura said to Mami via telepathy. _And the white-haired one…must be Mikuni Oriko._

_Mikuni…? _Mami thought. _That name's quite familiar. Isn't that the name of the politician?_

Homura closed her eyes. _I believe so, yes._

"Is that her name…?" Nico murmured. "The black magical girl."

Homura nodded. "Based on your description, I can't think of anyone else who possibly matches the one you remember. It's most likely _Kure Kirika._"

"Are they here?" Mami asked.

"They should be." Nico took her tablet out and showed the Mitakihara City map with the glowing dots. Three dots blinked on the map: purple, yellow and silver at the bus station. While the black and white dots blinked and it showed on the map that it's at the hotel not too far from where they were. Mami felt amazed at the gadget Nico used to track down magical girls. She thought that was something that can come in handy in future situations.

"So, are you going to fight them?" Mami asked.

"Planning." Came Nico's response. "I need further planning."

The platinum-haired girl picked up her shoulder bag and headed to the stairs going inside the shopping mall. "Thank you."

Nico walked away and took the stairs and went up. Homura and Mami were left at the waiting platform, both of them contemplating.

_Homura-chan? What do we do about this? The city could get in danger._

_Mami-san, it's Kanna's matter. We can't involve ourselves._

_I know that, Homura-chan…_ Mami's eyes were filled with concern. _But…_

_Unless the situation calls for it, then we make our move._ Homura stared at Mami and held her hand._ I'm not…uh, we won't let them do what they wish. We'll protect the city, no matter what._

_Yes, we will. _Mami gave a gentle squeeze at the hand that held hers.

* * *

><p>"Thanks a lot for accompanying me." Mami said as she stopped at her apartment's door.<p>

"Don't worry about it."

A pause. Somehow, Homura felt she definitely wanted to say more, but what else could she possibly say?

"I'll see you at school then." Mami winked an eye at her.

"Mami-san…"

"Hmm?"

"Thank you. I…really had fun today." Homura remembered the bus trip earlier. Mami felt quite tired, yet she kept their conversation on the bus alive. Whenever Mami smiled, Homura couldn't help but smile in return. It seemed that the older girl's smile was quite infectious. She really enjoyed her company very much. And for the first time, since becoming a magical girl, she felt—_human._

"You're welcome." Mami smiled. "I had fun today, too."

"Well, I'll go then. See you at school." Homura smiled faintly and waved her hand.

"Take care, Homura-chan…" Mami said happily. Homura walked away from the door. But after just a few steps, Mami found herself reaching out…and held Homura's arm.

"Homura-chan..."

"Huh?" Homura turned around to face Mami. "What is…?"

The black-haired girl got caught by surprise. Mami's sudden embrace almost made her fall off-balance. Their faces were close, really close. Longing yellow eyes stared onto stunned purple ones. Mami could feel her own heart thumping and the nervousness swelled inside her. _This is now or never._ She leaned closer, with her arms wrapped around Homura's shoulders and sealed her lips with her own. Mami's eyes were tightly shut, and her hands soon reached the younger girl's back.

Homura was stunned by the kiss, and so her eyes widened in shock. Seemingly losing control and her senses, Homura clung onto Mami's shoulders. The shock soon got replaced with a feeling of pleasantness, as she felt Mami's warm, soft lips on hers. An unexplainable warmth somewhat welled inside her during those few seconds. The kiss ended, with Mami pulling away and a bright blush painted her cheeks. Homura's face grew pale and was left speechless.

"I-I guess that was a bit sudden…" Mami said, noticing the black-haired girl's reaction.

"Y-yes…" Homura stammered. "I-I mean...I'm n-new to this."

"I'm sorry." Mami's eyes were filled with concern, thinking she had gone too far.

Homura shook her head. "I-It's okay. It felt…really nice, to be honest."

Mami felt a little relieved. "Is it your first time?"

Homura nodded.

Mami blushed. "It's my first time, too. I never even thought it'd be with another girl."

"I…need to get going now." Homura stuttered. "Thank you, for today."

Mami smiled. "If anything comes up, just call me."

Homura nodded simply and waved a hand back at her.

"Take care!" Mami exclaimed gleefully and waved her hand. Homura walked away, with a hand in her chest and still felt that warmth.

_Madoka… _

_I know she isn't you…and yet, I'm having this feeling now. I still love you, but…I can't help having the same feelings for her._

_For Mami-san…_

* * *

><p>Kyuubey and Kyoko could be both seen at the observation tower, the red-haired girl used the telescope to see through and view the city's skyline.<p>

_I have news for you._

"What now?"

_Kanna Nico is here in this city._ The cat-like familiar said, with a poker face.

"Now that you mention it," Kyoko suddenly recalled. "I remember Kanna said something about _forces we're not aware of._ And told me not to let my guard down."

_I wouldn't know. The only forces in this world are that of hope and despair. You magical girls and the wraiths had been keeping the balance of this universe._

_Then what the heck was that smug talkin' about?_ Kyoko's thoughts got filled with annoyance.

"I need to chill. I'll probably go to the arcade." The red-haired girl's soul gem flashed and transformed into a ring. With her usual getup, she grabbed a box of pocky and left the observation tower. She walked and passed by the park and saw a familiar face. It was Tomohisa, the father of the kid she saw earlier that morning. He sat on the bench, watching his son play. Little did Kyoko know Tomohisa noticed her walk by and recognized her.

"It's you…the girl from this morning." Tomohisa smiled.

"So you're here in the afternoon, too huh?" Kyoko noted and heard the voice of Tatsuya—laughing as he played with the other kids at the park.

"He's my only child," Tomohisa replied. "It'll not be good if I keep him confined inside the house while his mom is at work."

"I see." Kyoko stared at the little kid who was running toward the bench his father sat at.

"Papa!"

"Careful, Tatsuya." The man helped him get up to bench to sit down.

"Aah, onee-chan!" Tatsuya pointed his finger towards the red-haired girl.

"Heh, you remembered me." Kyoko grinned and patted the little boy's head.

"Are you on your own?" Tomohisa inquired.

Kyoko nodded. "Been living on my own for as long as I could remember."

"I'm sorry." Tomohisa sounded apologetic. "So that must mean you don't go to school like those kids?"

As Kyoko looked on, she saw girls wearing the same school uniform that Homura, Mami and Sayaka wore.

_Sayaka…_ Kyoko suddenly felt sad as she remembered the blue-haired girl.

"Is…something wrong?" Tomohisa seemed concerned when he saw the change in Kyoko's mood.

"N-nothing, really."

"Hahahaa!" Tatsuya jumped from the bench and grabbed a fallen branch from the ground. The little boy suddenly drew what seems to be a girl with two ribbons tied on her hair and wore a frilly dress. The girl he drew had a smile on her face and Tatsuya smiled along while he said a random word.

"Madoka! Madoka!"

"Huh?" Kyoko's eyes widened. She heard the name before. Yes, that name. She heard it from the story Tomoe Mami once told her. About Homura's very important friend, the one who made that ultimate wish and became the hope for all magical girls.

"Excuse me." Kyoko looked at Tomohisa, who smiled while his little boy continued his doodling on the ground.

"Yes?"

"That…word…" Kyoko tried to find the better words to ask it without sounding rude. "When did he start saying that?"

"Oh, you mean _'Madoka'_?" Tomohisa said, he stared at the image his son drew on the ground. "It's his very first word. I don't even know where the name came from, but it seems that he feels really happy when I take him out here in the afternoon."

"I see." Kyoko stared at the little boy.

"I guess that happens to most kids…" Tomohisa continued. "…you know, having imaginary friends. He even tries to draw what this _'Madoka'_ looks like."

_Imaginary friend… Is it really?_ Kyoko thought. But there's another person, another one she knew who would always call onto that name. The quiet, reserved raven-haired girl that is _Akemi Homura._ She remembered the one instance she first heard the said name from her, during that night at the train station…

* * *

><p>"Sorry, I guess I've caused you a lot of trouble."<p>

"No, I should apologize to you." Two girls sat down in the middle row of seats at the music hall, with the sound of a violin being played could be heard. "In order to save you, I don't have a choice but to erase everything that's happened."

The pink-haired girl stared at the boy playing the violin, her peaceful face radiated by the music hall's lighting.

"But I if I do that, this future will have to disappear. I know this isn't the way you thought things would turn out. But I do think this is the way you'd want it to be. Your wish was a precious gift, and you sacrificed so much for it."

The blue-haired girl's eyes shone with unshed tears as she listened to the girl who sat beside her.

"I have to honor it, respect it…because it wasn't meaningless. So..."

The blue-haired girl closed her eyes and nodded.

"Mm-hm. I'm okay with that. Yeah, I'm okay with that. I mean, all I really wanted was to hear him play again, you know."

The silver-haired boy continued playing his piece, with the spectators whispering in amazement.

"I wanted everyone to hear him play that violin of his. The more people the better. Just remembering that again is enough for me. I don't have any regrets anymore."

A green-haired girl can be seen watching anxiously, hiding behind the curtain as the song played along.

"I guess one thing still bothers me a little. But it's Hitomi, so I'll let it slide. Kyousuke doesn't deserve a girl as cool as her."

Tears started trickling down the blue-haired girl's cheeks. They were not tears of regret, but of happiness. Her eyes shone and the light radiated from her blue orbs.

"I'm sure the two of them will be very happy, won't they?"

The pink-haired girl nodded.

"Well, are you ready to go?"

The blue-haired girl nodded, the peace now enveloping her being. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Yeah."

The two of them stood up, both of them disappeared in the light and the song came to an end. A round of applause filled the music hall, the silver-haired boy bowed, but when he opened his eyes, he felt a very familiar presence that somehow was watching him from a distance, wherever that place was.

_"Sayaka…"_

Purple eyes opened all so sudden. Homura panted for breath and felt tears flowing on her cheeks. She all remembered this too well. Sitting upright in bed, she pulled the red ribbon from her hair and caressed it.

"That idiot! What the hell? She didn't have to go out like that! Especially over some guy she was crushing on!" Kyoko exclaimed and her eyes shone, her tears ready to fall.

"Dammit. We were just getting around to being friends."

"It's the fate of all magical girls though." The blonde shooter said with calmness. "I'm sure you understood that fact when you first got your powers."

She continued on. "We're supposed to bring hope. But once it turns into despair, we have no choice but to disappear...forever."

A quiet sob was heard not too far away. Homura clutched the red ribbons in her hands and held them near her chest.

_ Madoka…_ Homura and Kyoko both whispered.

* * *

><p><em>Ahai...this is getting really interesting. I hope you stay tuned for the next chapter.<em>

_For those who are wondering about Nico Kanna:_

_She's a character from the spin-off manga of PMMM called "Puella Magi Kazumi Magica: The Innocent Malice." The group of magical girls there are called the "Pleiades Saints." Also as a trivia, they call out their attacks/spells in Italian, much the same with Mami Tomoe. To make it tied with the manga and be realistic, I did mention in this recent chapter that Mami had been in Asunaro (the hometown of the Pleiades Saints) once. In the Kazumi Magica manga, she's the inspiration for those girls (including Nico) to call out their attacks/spells in Italian. And one example is the spell she used in this chapter called "Rendere O Romperlo." It means "Make or Break."_

_Thanks again for reading this chapter and I hope you stay tuned for the next one: Sechzehn._

_- theSlytherin022_


	17. Sechzehn: I Believe In You

**_Author's note: _**_Hi there! It's me again. Finally an update came at last. Things had been challenging lately so I'd like to apologize in advance. I promise I will make it up to all of you in the next chapter. Though this chapter turned out to be "ok", but what I had in mind was pretty different. I guess that's part of it, that whatever is on your mind is not the same when you write it down or something to that effect. Thanks so much for the reviews for the previous chapter (BlackHawk56 and redlerred7). So far, so good I haven't lost the motivation to write this. In fact, the reviews and messages from other users gave me the motivation to continue this. And with that, here's the latest chapter. Thank you so much for all who has followed this piece and more Homu X Mami goodness to everyone!_

* * *

><p><em>Sechzehn: I Believe In You<em>

Mami lay down on the sofa and stared at the ceiling. It was a tiring day, after all. Fighting the wraiths and meeting that _Kanna_ girl somewhat gave her a reason to feel tired and stressed. The light from the ceiling radiated on her yellow eyes and she began contemplating about what happened before Homura left.

_What's gotten into me?_ Mami thought. She could still feel the nervousness inside her, her heart pounded against her chest. She closed her eyes and found herself touching her own lips, remembering what had happened earlier.

_Homura-chan…_ Mami recalled that moment when she embraced Homura all so suddenly, their faces were so close to each other. When she gazed onto those purple eyes, her heart beat really fast and that feeling of nervousness swelled within her. Everything happened so fast and the next thing she knew—she had her eyes shut and kissed Homura. Her hands slowly reached the raven-haired girl's back as the kiss lingered.

Mami could feel her cheeks getting warm when she thought of it again.

_I kissed her…right there._ She thought constantly.

She couldn't get Homura out of her head even if she wanted to. Mami shook her head to try clearing up her mind. And yet, images of Homura kept playing in her head. Those purple eyes, her pale face and her lips... She could still feel the softness of Homura's lips…to think that the kiss happened like more than an hour or so ago. The blonde girl sat up and grabbed the phone from her pocket. She pulled up her contacts and browsed through the short list she had. Once she reached the bottom of that list, a faint smile crept upon her lips.

_Miki-san :)_

_Sakura-san! xD_

_Father 3_

_Mother 3_

_Homura-san 3 3 3_

Mami felt her cheeks warming the moment she saw Homura's name on the list. She recalled that day—weeks after Sayaka's disappearance. The blonde girl continued fighting the wraiths all by herself during the night. She'd come to school in the morning, mostly lacking sleep. Good thing she could still keep up with her studies despite that. That day, when she walked past the school gate, she saw a familiar presence and felt quite surprised.

"Akemi…san?"

The black-haired girl turned and recognized who it was. "Tomoe-san."

"Akemi-san!" Mami smiled and felt really happy upon seeing Homura that day. "I'm…so glad I've seen you again." Homura was quiet, as usual. But she smiled faintly upon seeing Mami again.

"You know, I've never seen you again since that night…" Mami recalled Sayaka's disappearance—when she was finally guided by the Law of Cycles. Homura made herself distant since then and so did Kyoko. Mami was left on her own, fighting wraiths here and there within the city. Ever since becoming a magical girl, she had come to terms that protecting Mitakihara as her sole duty and purpose of existence. Her vow to keep the city at peace had been her responsibility. Until the time comes—when she herself will fade after all her power is exhausted. However, even if she had the duty of being the city's protector, loneliness kept Mami scared during battles. At times, she'd feel scared of the thought that no one would remember her if she dies inside a wraith's barrier. Having no one to fight alongside with was the most painful thing she had to bear. Her magical girl duties kept her distant from her classmates. Whenever she came home after a long day, she'd talk to her dead parents. She'd even wonder if her parents could hear what she would talk about. Mostly, no one but herself could hear her sobs every night.

And when she saw Homura again—a fellow magical girl, she really felt happy.

"I had…things I needed to take care of." The raven-haired girl said.

"I see." Mami knew Homura wasn't the type of person who'd talk about herself, so she just left it at that. An awkward silence followed.

"Uhhm…" Mami broke the silence at last.

"Yes?"

"Would you like to come over my place for tea, Akemi-san?" Mami knew it was useless, since she had known Homura being so distant with others, yet she tried anyway.

Homura turned away from the blonde girl. "If I'm not a bother, Tomoe-san."

"You've never been a bother, Akemi-san." Mami said with a smile.

"Okay then."

Mami's eyes widened in surprise. To hear the black-haired girl give in to her invitation was quite something. "Let's get going, then. I have a new blend we can both try."

_Some time later, at Mami's apartment…_

"Please, come in. Make yourself at home."

The black-haired girl came in and bowed her head. "Please excuse me."

"I'll go ahead and make tea. Is black tea okay for you?"

"Yes. Let me help you."

"Oh, please. You don't have to. You're my guest, Akemi-san." Mami said with cheer.

"But…"

The blonde girl pushed her a little. "It's okay. Go ahead and sit down."

"Okay."

_A few minutes later…_

"Sorry to keep you waiting!" Mami put the tray down the low triangular glass table. Handing over one cup to Homura, Mami smiled and poured tea on it.

"Alright, drink up. I prepared Darjeeling tea for today. It has a good aroma, so try drinking it straight."

"Okay then. I'll drink it now."

Mami smiled while she watched the raven-haired girl drink her tea. When Homura finished, she put her cup back to the saucer and looked at Mami in the eyes.

"It's wonderful."

"Is it? I'm very glad you liked it." Mami took her cup and felt the warmth of the tea and savored its aroma.

"It's a miracle…just the two of us getting to relax like this."

"I feel the same way." Homura responded, her hands were on the glass table.

"It seems like we may have some things in common."

"Seems so."

"And…we've been through tough hardships."

The raven-haired girl responded. "Can't argue with that."

"Just looking at us sitting here having tea, you wouldn't think we're both Magical Girls." Mami smiled, her reflection could be seen at the glass table.

"Being able to sit down like this and enjoy tea is a luxury."

"You still don't seem to want to talk about yourself." Mami's smile faded as she stared at Homura.

"I'm sorry." The black-haired girl sounded contrite.

"It's okay." Mami reached out and held Homura's hand. "Sometimes, people have things they'd rather not talk about."

"…."

"But, you know…" Mami gazed onto the raven-haired girl's purple eyes. "You can always come to me if you feel like it. I'll listen to you…to whatever you want to say."

Homura felt the warmth from the hand that held hers. "You're…very kindhearted."

"Being kindhearted is good!" Mami said happily. "It'd be sad if you live a life not trusting other people."

"Well…that's true." Came Homura's staggered response.

"I believe in you, Akemi-san, so…" Mami said, feeling a little nervous inside. "…so please, don't hesitate to come to me if you need anything. I'll be here."

"Thank you, Tomoe-san." Homura responded. "I also believe in you."

Mami felt her heart beating so fast when she heard those words.

"Would you like another cup?" The smile on the blonde girl's face was bright and very cheerful.

"Yes, please." Homura replied. "Thank you."

Mami poured tea onto Homura's cup. She felt really glad that she finally got to spend time with Homura, to have tea and just relax. It hadn't happened for quite a while, ever since Sayaka disappeared. Mami also had chiffon cake made, and Homura was in no position to object Mami's offer of trying it. Homura took a fork and sliced off a piece of the cake and ate it.

"It's…delicious."

"Really?" Mami's eyes widened in surprise,

"Indeed." Homura smiled. "The sweetness is just…right and the icing really makes it smell really good."

"Thank you." Mami blushed for a bit.

Homura smiled back as she suddenly remembered the past timelines. Those times when she'd get invited in one of Mami's tea parties. She would always have cake for everyone to eat and partner it with tea. She took her fork to slice off from the cake, she noticed the colored sprinkles got mixed with the icing. Purple, yellow, red and blue were there. She smiled at the thought and remembered the others, most particularly, Kyoko and Sayaka. What caught her attention is the pink sprinkle that tinged the icing. Homura felt something warm from the edges of her eyes as she remembered her. The color of her hair, her bright ruby red eyes that always gave her hope. It all came back to her in an overwhelming wave. Homura turned the other way as she could feel herself crying.

Mami noticed this and felt concerned. "Akemi-san? Is…something the matter?"

Homura wiped the tears away and faced the older girl, with a smile on her face. "I just…remembered something."

Mami sat beside Homura and put an arm around her shoulder. "You can tell me."

"Tomoe-san…" Homura closed her eyes. "I…I—"

Mami realized what it was about and she let the younger girl rest on her shoulder. A hand rubbed Homura's back, somewhat trying to comfort her. "It's _her_, isn't it?"

Homura nodded simply.

"I know you miss her so much." Mami whispered and embraced her. "I know the feeling. I miss my parents, too. It might not be the same, but we seem to be on the same boat…longing for them, missing the ones we love so much."

Mami knew the feeling too well. Ever since her parents passed away, all she could do was to talk to them at night, imagined that they were still alive. Homura's case though, was a little different. The first time she heard the word "Madoka" from her was that night at the train station…when Sayaka disappeared after using all of her magic in that last attack. Mami had never heard of that name before. It was the first time she had heard it and it was from Homura. Mami had only heard the story from Homura once, but she never came to terms of believing such a story. However, that didn't mean she thought of Homura's feelings being invalid. Mami just quite understood how Homura had been feeling, so it really didn't matter to her if that story was true or not.

But being with Homura and help her get through that very same pain was all that mattered to Mami. _Will I be allowed to ease the pain you're feeling, Akemi-san?_

Moments later, Homura had calmed down and pulled away from Mami's embrace.

"Thank you, Tomoe-san."

"No worries. I'm glad I could help somehow." Mami said with a smile.

"Thank you also, for inviting me over."

"Akemi-san…?"

"Yes?"

"Umm…I was wondering if we could…you know, team up?" Mami felt something in her chest while she said those words.

"Tomoe-san, I'm literally…part of competition. I'll just get in your way." Homura tried declining softly. Mami, on the other hand, didn't buy this.

"Then let's team up so we don't feel that way."

"Tomoe-san…" The look on Mami's face made Homura feel helpless. She sighed and finally gave in. "Okay, then."

"Thank you, Akemi-san!" Mami said gleefully. "Let's exchange phone numbers then, so we can keep in touch with each other if something comes up."

Homura nodded and took Mami's phone and punched in her number onto the touchscreen keypad. When she finished, she handed Mami's phone back over…just in time when Mami finished saving her number on Homura's phone book.

"Perfect." Mami smiled as she stared at her phone's screen.

"I need to get going." Homura stood up and bowed. "Thanks again for inviting me over."

"You're welcome, Akemi-san." Mami smiled. "So, I'll see you at school then?"

Homura smiled faintly and nodded.

Mami led the black-haired girl to the door and waved a hand at her. Homura walked away and disappeared in the light. Mami closed the door and leaned behind it, constantly looking at her phone's screen. She tapped on Homura's name and realized she was typing something beside it:

Homura-san 3 3 3

Mami felt herself blushing as she saved the changes. She held the phone close to her chest and felt a different kind of warmth.

_Homura-chan…_

Mami jolted out from her reverie and stared at her phone's screen. She constantly thought of Homura this entire time.

_Is this…how it really feels?_ The blonde girl let herself fall onto the couch.

* * *

><p>Nico lay down on her bed inside the hotel room she was staying. She remembered the Magical Girls she crossed paths with earlier that afternoon.<p>

_Those two…could they be considered allies or foes?_

Nico picks up the phone by the bedside table and calls for room service.

"We've got a fantastic buffet dinner at the 4th floor, Kanna-san." Came the response from the other line.

"No, I'd rather have food brought to me here." Nico responded lazily. "I don't mind paying the extra charges."

"As you wish, Miss."

Nico put the phone down and grabbed the tablet she was reading news on earlier.

_They can be of help to me in defeating those scums._ Nico thought carefully. _They seem to be powerful enough._

The platinum-haired girl's eyes widened when she stared at her tablet's screen.

_No. The concept of outnumbering those scums is tempting. But that will not guarantee victory._

_But it's better than nothing. _

Nico turned around and saw the familiar presence. The white-furred familiar stared intently from the windowsill.

_You know it for yourself that you won't be able to defeat those 'scums' you're talking about. You'll need the help of stronger magical girls._

"Incubator." Nico's eyes narrowed.

_You'd be making an excellent strategy if you think of teaming up with Akemi Homura and Tomoe Mami._

"And do you know _Kure Kirika,_ Incubator?" Nico asked.

_Of course._

"So you must know the person who's with her."

_Yes. That's Mikuni Oriko._

"Hmm…"

_I know all the girls I offer contracts to…that is, except Akemi Homura._

"What's with this _Akemi Homura _person?"

_She's considered an irregular presence._ The Incubator jumped off from the windowsill and climbed on to the side table._ I may have met her and offered her a contract but I'm not sure when or how that happened._

"I see." Nico tapped her finger twice to zoom in the map displayed on her tablet. "Do you think this _Akemi Homura_ and her friend are threats?"

_Not really. They're the magical girls assigned to this territory, so if you'd tell them that you're doing this for peace then they may coordinate with you._

"I see."

_What are you planning, Kanna Nico? Are you really planning to fight Oriko and Kirika given your state? You can't do it on your own._

"Get lost."

_Fine, fine. Have it your way. Don't say I didn't warn you. _The incubator left by passing through the wall.

_Oriko and Kirika. You scums will pay._

* * *

><p><em>So…Madoka is real?<em> Kyoko thought.

"Is something the matter?" Tomohisa noticed the red-haired girl's sudden silence.

"N-nah, don't mind it." Kyoko said while she grabbed a stick of Pocky and munched on it. "Sorry, I gotta go to the arcade."

"Take care of yourself, young lady." Tomohisa waved a hand at her.

"Bye bye, nee-chan!"

Kyoko walked away and sighed internally. _Jeez, nee-chan, huh?_

As she looked ahead, her eyes narrowed at what she recently realized.

_Madoka…is real._

And another realization came rushing to the redhead's mind.

_Well, at least I know now that Akemi's not an insane lunatic after all._ Kyoko smirked while walking down the park's gate.

_I'll talk to that bum later after I chill out. There's still something I wanna know._

* * *

><p>Mami tapped her phone's screen and thought of sending Homura a text message. She giggled within herself while she typed in the words. She could feel her hands shaking.<p>

_Homura, I love you._

The message was sent. Mami didn't expect any reply from Homura, but it was enough to tell her how she felt after all that's happened today.

The black-haired girl wiped the tears from her eyes when she felt her phone vibrating. Thinking it was someone calling her, she grabbed her phone and looked to see who it was.

_Mami-san._ Homura realized it was a message from her teammate turned lover.

_Homura, I love you._

_Madoka, am I betraying your memory if I tell her I love her too?_ Homura closed her eyes and held the phone close to her.

Homura suddenly felt a warm presence. It felt like someone tapped on her right shoulder. The black-haired girl smiled as she knew who that was. A sense of peace slowly filled Homura's longing heart.

It was enough.

_Thank you, Madoka._

The next thing she knew, she typed the words without hesitation. She responded happily and with a gleam in her purple eyes.

_I love you, too._

* * *

><p><em>The flashback in this chapter was based loosely from the PS Vita game, Puella Magi Madoka Magica The Battle Pentagram. Just made a few changes to align it to the setting of the story which is the post-series world. The face-off will start in the next chapters to come so stay tuned for it. :D<em>

_- TheSlytherin022_


	18. Siebzehn: A Feeling No One Can Explain

**Author's note: **_Hi everyone! I'm back with an update! Thanks so much for your continued support. It took a while since I was working with a very, long piece (which I have to divide again at the last moment). It seems that the latest chapters followed the same trend, flashbacks and backstories from the characters. And now, this chapter is also another backstory for the Puella Magi that recently crossed paths with the main couple. No prior knowledge of the Kazumi Magica manga is required for this chapter since the setting is post-series. Meaning, most events of the manga are almost non-existent. For those who know the manga, little similarities may still be noticed. Anyways, thanks a lot for the people who left reviews the last time (Major Mike Powell III, BlackHawk56, ClickClackClickClack, etc.) I also apologize, as the title of this chapter is long, it doesn't fit the chapter selector. The next chapter is already in the works and hopefully it gets finished in time. For now, enjoy and more Homu X Mami goodness to come!_

* * *

><p><em>Siebzehn: A Feeling No One Can Explain In Words<em>

"Nico…?"

Nico turned around and saw one of her teammates, Kazumi walking shyly towards her.

"What is it?"

"Umm…today is…your birthday, isn't it?"

Nico realized that it was indeed her birthday. _So many sufferings, I don't even remember how it is to be normal._ She smiled very faintly at Kazumi, who seemed to be hiding something.

"Nico, I… I have something for you."

Nico's eyes widened as Kazumi finally revealed what she had been hiding.

"Surprise!"

"Is…that…?"

"Yes, Nico!" Kazumi exclaimed happily. "Happy birthday!"

"T-thank you…" Nico stammered at her words and stared at the present her teammate gave her.

"Ooooh, Nico's blushing." Satomi noted. She held a teacup in her hand, as usual.

The rest of the girls came in, with a popping sound and lots of confetti were all over the place.

"Happy birthday, Nico!"

Nico felt stunned at this surprise greeting from all of her teammates. She never expected this from them, as they would all be so busy in protecting their hometown, Asunaro. She tried her best not to feel overwhelmed, but couldn't help herself and tears trickled on her cheeks.

"Everyone…? You…made this for me?"

"Of course!" Exclaimed Kazumi and hugged her from behind.

"Cheers to our smart, hi-tech comrade!" Mirai shouted happily.

"Kampaii!" Shouted the rest of the Pleiades Saints.

"Nico." Kazumi whispered and held the green-eyed girl's hand.

"What is it?"

"Come with me." Kazumi pulled her by the hand and went somewhere…private. Mirai and Usagi felt stunned.

"Oi, Kazumi, where are you taking Nico?" Satomi inquired. Kazumi didn't even turn her head, as if she didn't hear Satomi talk.

Kaoru smiled. "This is it, ne? Looks like she's finally gathered courage."

Umika stared at Kaoru in wonder. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, nothing…" Kaoru said it in a "playing dumb" tone. She suddenly remembered Kazumi talking to her a day before Nico's birthday and asked about a perfect gift.

"She'd like a new pair of goggles," Kaoru suggested.

"Or colorful straps for her smartphone," Kazumi said with excitement.

"I think that's also a good idea." Kaoru said. "Wait a minute, Kazumi. I know it will be a birthday gift, but why are you so hyped up about this?"

"Hehe…" Kazumi laughed nervously.

"Oooh, what is this?" Kaoru pinched Kazumi's cheek. "You're blushing."

"All right, I give up." Kazumi sighed. "But promise me you won't tell anyone."

"You have my word." Kaoru raised her right hand as a sign of promise.

"You see…" Kazumi said nervously, making sure she chose the right words. "You'll probably even laugh at me…but…I've had…feelings for Nico for quite sometime."

"Eeeehh? You…? You…?" Kaoru stepped back, her mouth hung agape in disbelief.

"Shhhh!" Kazumi covered the carrot head's mouth. "Such a loudmouth."

"Ah, sorry."

"I knew it." Kazumi bowed her head. "Either you'll find it weird or you'll laugh at me."

"Hey, it's not that." Kaoru tapped her shoulder. "Jeez, and I thought you and Saki are—"

"Wha?" Kazumi eyes widened. "What about Saki?"

"You girls are really close, so I thought the two of you are…" Kaoru was interrupted by Kazumi's finger softly landing at her lips.

"Saki is a very nice friend. She deserves someone far better than I am."

"I see." Kaoru made her soccer ball spin on her index finger.

"But I've always found Nico so amazing! She's such a smarty-pants!" Kazumi's eyes shone as she thought of Nico's hi-tech gadgets and inventions. "I guess that's the effect of drinking milk from California, ne?"

"Drinking…from California?" Kaoru rolled her eyes. "What's that gotta do with her being smart?"

"Kaoru, how did you deal with this sort of thing with Umika?" The black-haired girl asked.

"Wh-what's this all of a sudden?" Kaoru ended up scratching her head. "Hmmmm…I wasn't the one who confessed, really. I wanted to, but she did it first."

"Ohhhh." Kazumi's eyebrows raised.

"You see, when that moment comes into your life you'll never know what to expect." Kaoru tapped the black-haired girl's shoulder. "The nervousness, the 'what-ifs…'

"Kaoru…"

"But when you know it yourself that the feeling inside you is real, then by all means, say it." The orange-haired girl continued. Kazumi saw the seriousness in her roommate's voice. The black-haired girl smiled and gave her friend a hug.

"Thanks a lot, Kaoru."

"Best of luck, Kazumi…" The orange-haired girl rustled Kazumi's black hair.

* * *

><p>"Nico…"<p>

"What is it…? Why did you bring me here?" The green-eyed girl asked, her facial expression never changed.

"What do you think about love?" Came Kazumi's question.

Nico's facial expression remained indifferent, though deep inside she wondered why Kazumi would ask her such a question.

"Hmmm…" The green-eyed girl thought. "It's a feeling no one can explain in words."

"Even the smartest person can't figure it out, huh?" Kazumi grinned.

"It has nothing to do with being smart." Nico retorted, but her voice remained monotonous.

"Umm…Nico…"

"Yes?"

"I love you." It was short yet straight to the point.

"Eh?" For the first time, Nico's facial expression changed. She felt…surprised.

"N-Nico…" Kazumi felt nervous as she thought of how Nico will take the confession in.

"I…don't know…" Nico stammered. "…what to say…"

Kazumi's index finger landed on Nico's lips. "You don't need to say anything."

"Kazumi," Nico turned away. "You don't understand. I'm…I'm a...murderer…"

"I don't care." Kazumi turned her around and kissed her. Nico was stunned by this and felt herself losing all the defenses she had.

_In the past, I never let you know how I felt._

_Because you are not 'her.' You just wear the same face, the memories you have implanted in recreated empty shells._

After the black magical girl fired the guns she summoned from her hat, the rest casted the joint bind spell _Episodio Incrocio_ to hold off the bunch of wraiths, ready for their leader to do the final strike. Throwing her giant cross staff up in the air, she jumped up, ascended in fast speeds and a purple light shone from above.

_"LIMITI ESTERNI!"_ The cross staff shot down and formed a large, powerful beam that blasted the wraiths bound on the ground. They've defeated them with success, and everyone rejoiced. The black-haired magical girl landed slowly but her transformation came undone as soon as she reached the ground. Her soul gem came rolling to her side.

"_Michiru-san_!" Satomi cried in anguish.

Umika, Saki and Mirai landed on their feet, their tears brimming as they saw _Kazusa Michiru_'s soul gem—tainted with black clouds and a deep crack started to emerge from its center. Kaoru fell on her knees, while Nico just stood there…her stoic face was finally cracking. Tears were welling from the edges of her eyes. This was rare, as Nico was known to be the unmoved, unshaken member of the Pleiades Saints.

"Michiru, you fool!" Kaoru shouted desperately. This was another rare event. Kaoru has always been the cheerful, ever active football player who wore a toothy, wacky grin. "You should've let us know you were running low on power! I-I could have given the…"

Michiru interrupted her friend and laughed in irony. "Sorry, didn't know myself 'til now. Guess I overdid Limiti Esterni, ne?"

Nico stood motionless as Michiru's eyes shone bright with unshed tears.

"Nico, please take care of them." Michiru choked, already aware of the time nearing.

"Michiru…" Nico's hand held onto Michiru's, feeling the warmth of it for the last time. "I can't…not without you."

"You can, Nico." Michiru smiled. Her hand reached up to Nico's cheek, wiping the trail of tears away. The black-haired girl's eyes were filled with mixed anticipation, excitement, fear and longing all at once. A pair of hands in white gloves enveloped her soul gem, the corruption being lifted, with Michiru's face bearing a peaceful, serene smile.

The hope for all magical girls, the _Law of Cycles_ finally arrived. Kaoru and Umika wore astonished faces. Saki and Mirai did their best not to be emotional. Satomi covered her face and continued weeping.

_Don't forget… _Michiru whispered, trusting Nico to say the next line. It was the creed, the sacred mantra that every magical girl knew, the very day they form their contracts. The very reason—why they keep fighting. It didn't really matter how they knew, but knowing it gives them the strength to fight gave them so much reasons to keep going.

_Always…_ Nico swallowed, held back her feelings as much as she could. _Always, somewhere…_

_Someone is fighting for you._ The rest of the _Pleiades Saints_ uttered fervently.

The next line was Michiru's. _As long as you remember her…_

And together with Nico, she recited the last line. _You are not alone._

The existence that was Kazusa Michiru finally faded away, guided by the Law of Cycles, finally at peace.

* * *

><p>"Taadaaa!" Kazumi held a brown book with yellow ribbons outlining the cover. Nico stared at it with a stoic face.<p>

"See this? This is our attack encyclopedia!" Kazumi said with excitement as an image of a girl with blonde curls wearing a brown beret hat filled Kazumi's eyes. They shone bright as she remembered the instance she was saved from the wraiths by this magical girl.

_When you tiro to tiro, if you tiro, TIRO FINALE!_

"TIRO…?" Nico's stoic face never changed.

"Yeah, she's soooo cool!" Kazumi jumped as she retold that story. She remembered how this magical girl came into the scene and summoned muskets from her hat and shot each wraith, pulverizing them completely. She used an overwhelming binding spell using her yellow ribbons.

_REGALE VASTALIA!_

And the finisher was the most powerful attack she has seen done by a magical girl.

_TIRO FINALE!_

"And the lady who saved me would call them out in _Italian!_" Kazumi's eyes shone even brighter, as she thought of the name for her attack.

"Mine will be _Limiti Esterni!_"

Nico stood still. She remembers all too well, that very last moment when Michiru herself used the same attack. Was she wrong in implanting this memory to this shell? After Michiru faded, Nico made a silent promise to do whatever it takes, to use her regeneration powers to bring Michiru back. She even created a cloned Incubator, whom she named _Juubey_, incorporating the ability to cleanse their soul gems without having to collect that much grief cubes. Using Michiru's cells she preserved in _the Freezer_, she had already created 13 empty shells of Michiru, implanting them with different memories of the departed. This last shell she named Kazumi was the 13th shell. This was the one she thought was close to Michiru, the person she always loved.

And yet, Nico felt something inside her that she couldn't understand. _Was there anything that I missed again? _She was wearing the same face as Michiru, and yet…she couldn't understand the emptiness dwelling inside her.

The time came…the horrible tragedy. Despite their combined effort, the Pleiades Saints fell, defeated by two magical girls who swept the city of _Asunaro_. Kazumi's mouth spat blood after she was thrown from a distance by _Kure Kirika_. Kazumi and Nico were badly injured. Though Nico renegenerated faster, she couldn't use the remainder of her magic for an attack. Kazumi stood up and used the last resort, _Limiti Esterni_ to somehow bring damage to _Oriko_ and Kirika. Kazumi knew that overdoing it will mean one thing…fading to the Law of Cycles.

It was a success, Kirika was heavily injured…leaving Oriko no choice but to flee. She carried Kirika and jumped away from the scene, leaping from one building to another.

Kazumi's transformation dropped. She fell on her knees as her soul gem began to crack from the center. It was certainly tainted, an indication that she used the remainder of her magic for that last blow. Nico's eyes widened as she remembered the same thing…

_Michiru…_ Nico desperately pushed the bricks off of her to come to Kazumi's aid.

"It's over, they're all gone…" Nico choked.

"I wasn't able to save them…" Kazumi's eyes brimmed with tears. "We got tricked by Juubey…its nature remained that of an Incubator."

"Kazumi…" Nico held her hand. "It's all my fault."

Kazumi shook her head.

"Nico, thank you for everything." Kazumi smiled as she squeezed the hand that held hers.

"I was the happiest person when I met all of you." Kazumi continued. "We'll always be the _Pleiades Saints_, the stars that shine in the heavens, protecting this place."

Nico nodded, she couldn't hold her feelings back any longer. Her tears flowed down her cheeks as she felt the time was nearing.

Kazumi tapped a grief cube on Nico's soul gem, the corruption being lifted from it. "Continue on, Nico. Continue protecting this city, but more importantly, remember everything our team had fought for."

"Kazumi…" Nico sobbed.

_I've failed my loved one so many times…her clones would sometimes make me feel disgusted—towards myself. I didn't get to let her know how I truly felt…_

"Kazumi…no, Michiru… Your memories may be implanted…but my fond memories of you aren't."

An overwhelming wave of memories looped in Nico's mind. The cloned Michiru's, the failure of each clones, rumbled fond and ill memories that led to the present. Now she's seeing the same scene when Michiru faded. This was her last chance…the only chance.

"Thank you, Nico." Kazumi whispered, her face looked peaceful. "I know Michiru is proud of you."

"Kazumi, I—" Nico braced herself to utter the words. "I…love…you."

Kazumi smiled. The serenity on her face indicated that _she_ has finally come. Nico stood back as the soul gem slowly vanished, along with its owner vanishing as well.

Nico jolted out of her reverie when she heard a knock on the door. She got up from her bed and answered. The room service came and served her food and it even included a bottle of champagne. After the guy left, Nico only tasted a bit of the food…not finding it that different from the hotel in Asunaro. After pouring champagne on her wineglass, she stood up and stared at the impending dusk.

_Michiru, I don't know what the future will bring. Please lend me your strength. The time is nearing…I will certainly cross paths with them._

* * *

><p>Mami stared at her phone and read the message she received.<p>

_I love you, too._

The blonde girl's heart skipped a beat. No, it felt like it would leap out of her chest. This was it, she finally knows that Homura had finally let her in.

Suddenly, an idea came to her mind.

_That's right…this weekend. I hope she's not busy. I'll ask her at school while we eat lunch._

Mami giggled within herself when she thought of it. After all, even protectors deserve a break from all the battles they encounter.

On the other side, Homura smiled and couldn't wait for tomorrow to come. It's been such a long time since she had a reason to smile again. The first one, was because of every magical girl's salvation. And now, it's with the one who never left her alone, the one who always waited to be let in. Her smile and her kind heart, much the same with _Madoka_ changed her again and let her realize her current feelings. Silently wishing for the morning to come, she thought of Mami constantly. Just as Madoka will always be in her heart, the blonde girl now has a place in it.

Her phone vibrated. Homura took her phone and checked the message that came in.

_Let's have lunch at the roof tomorrow. Got something to talk about. ~ Mami_

Homura put the phone down and let herself fall into her bed. A content sigh heaved as slumber enveloped the black-haired girl.

* * *

><p><em>Cliffhanger! I still haven't forgotten. Homura and Kyoko will still have a conversation and that will be at the next chapter. The night is still upon the magical girls in the story. Just stay tuned. ;)<em>


	19. Achtzehn: The aura of being a couple

**Author's note: **_Hi everyone! I am back! My sincerest apologies for the very long delay in updating the story. I had a major computer failure and as a result, my writing was put on hold until I got a new laptop. I had to catch up on my other work too so I've been working against the clock the past few months. Also, a family crisis hit us, so it was a hard time for me and my folks, too. But now, I am back with an update. I will continue updating this story, but updates may not be on a regular or scheduled basis because of all the work I have to do. Anyway, this chapter is just the first of three pieces I've been writing. I decided to upload this one and then I will upload the next ones in a month or so, given that I don't run out of ideas and finish the third one. Changes will still happen so I wouldn't know what the final product will be. We'll find out soon enough. So here's the latest chapter. Thanks a lot for the reviews from Major Mike Powell and Trashermaiden for the previous chapters. As always, more Homu X Mami goodness! _

* * *

><p><em>Achtzehn: <em>_The aura of being a couple_

After playing in the arcade, Kyoko walked down the busy streets of Mitakihara. Looking around, she remembered the first time she went to this city, when she was invited by Mami to stay over for tea.

_I wonder how Mami's doin'?_ Kyoko grinned inwardly and continued walking. The streetlights were already lit and vehicles raced down the main road. When Kyoko was just about to make a left turn, something caught her attention.

"Really? I'd like to hear you play that Kamijou-kun!"

_Kamijou…_ Kyoko knew the name. Turning left, she saw Kyousuke and Hitomi walking together. The green-eyed girl and Kyousuke held hands; laughter could be heard from Hitomi. Kyoko's eyes narrowed and felt irritated.

_See, Sayaka? This is what he's doing!_

Kyousuke looked ahead and saw Kyoko walking towards them. When Kyoko passed by them, Kyousuke turned around; seemingly wanting to call her attention.

"Kamijou-kun?" Hitomi noticed that Kyousuke stopped walking and stared at the girl who was already a few meters away.

"I'm sorry, Shizuki-san. I have something to do." Kyousuke ran towards the direction where Kyoko went.

"Kamijou-kun!" Hitomi called out, but it seems that Kyousuke didn't hear her.

Kyousuke ran after the red-haired girl who was eating her usual Pocky snack. The red-haired girl suddenly stopped, making Kyousuke bump into her. The gray-haired boy hit Kyoko's back really hard, and Kyoko screamed in anger.

"Oi! What's the deal huh?"

"I finally found you." Kyousuke tried getting up. "You're…Sayaka's friend, right?"

Kyoko's eyes furrowed and took a step to leave.

"Wait!"

"Let go!" Kyoko's ring flashed, but she realized she was dealing with a normal human being. She ended up grabbing Kyousuke's uniform and looked at him fiercely.

"Better not show up in front of me again or else…!" The red-haired said angrily, letting go of Kyousuke who ended up falling on the cemented road.

"What…did…I do?" Kyousuke wondered.

"Like you even know, idiot!" Kyoko felt enraged as she remembered Sayaka. _This dummy? Is this the person you swore to protect, Sayaka?!_

"Wait…" Kyousuke remembered why she went after Kyoko in the first place. "You're...also friends with Sayaka, right?"

The mention of that name made Kyoko's heart churn. The red-haired girl never gave an answer.

"I'm pretty sure you are." Kyousuke said firmly. "I saw you with her…along with _Akemi Homura_-san and that blonde ninth grader one afternoon."

Kyoko remained silent.

"Don't tell me you don't know them." Kyousuke's voice became more serious. "I have a feeling you know something. _Akemi Homura_ as well…I'm pretty sure you all know something about what happened to Sayaka."

"If I were you, it's better off not knowing." Kyoko finally spoke.

"What do you mean…?" Kyousuke's brows furrowed. "I have to know. I'm…I'm worried about Sayaka. Shizuki-san…she's been worried…thinking that Sayaka ran away and she's been blaming herself for it."

_She's…in a much better place now,_ Kyoko thought seriously and turned away from the gray-haired boy. _At least…that's what I believe in…_

"Why aren't you saying anything…?" Kyousuke's eyes widened. "Hey, did Sayaka…?"

"I said it's better off not knowing." Kyoko faced Kyousuke, almost ready to unleash her weapon any moment.

* * *

><p>After the champagne, Nico decided to leave her room at the hotel and went to the shopping mall. Seeing friends hanging around caused a little ache in Nico's heart. Suddenly remembering how she and her teammates would hang out, either in the mall or in Kazumi's dorm room. While on the escalator going down, Nico saw a familiar face.<p>

"Hey, Nico!"

The platinum-haired girl was surprised to her name being called.

"I knew it." The familiar figure approached the young girl who was still stunned.

"Good evening, Kaname-san." Nico shot a greeting over at Junko, who was followed by another lady not too far away.

"Hi there." Junko winked an eye. "Familiarizing the place, eh?"

"Uhh…sort of." Nico's answer was short and timid.

"Oh, by the way, this is Kazuko." Junko tapped the other lady's shoulder to signal her to make an introduction.

"Hi, good evening. My name is _Saotome Kazuko_." Kazuko introduced herself warmly. "You must be Nico. Nice to meet you and welcome to Mitakihara. I hope you're enjoying your stay."

"Thank you. I am so far, Saotome-san." Nico said after a quick bow.

"Wanna hang out with us?" Junko offered.

"Uhhm…I appreciate the thought." Nico didn't know how to decline Junko's offer, but she had to be honest, and that her objective was pretty simple. She meant business to come to this city. At any time, at any rate, she may come across Oriko and Kirika. "I have something important to do. My apologies."

"It's okay." Junko winked an eye. "There's always next time."

"Please excuse me." Nico bowed to pay respects and immediately left the scene. Her eyes furrowed as she sensed a magical presence.

_She's here. I know it's her…_

Nico took her tablet out and saw the blinking black dot on the screen. The place was the arcade, which was not too far from where she was. Her eyes narrowed as she noticed the dot move.

_She's…heading this way._ Nico walked the opposite direction, but it appears that the other presence is tailing her.

_That's it. Follow me and you'll be finished._ Nico thought. She waited for this time to come, to finally face the very person who claimed the lives of her friends. Nico continued walking until she reached an area where not much people were present—the parking lot.

* * *

><p>"Please…" Kyousuke pleaded.<p>

Kyoko's brow twitched as she let her guard down. "This isn't the right time to talk about this."

"Then…?" There was a spark of hope in Kyousuke's eyes.

"And there'll never be!" Kyoko shouted. "Don't you come near me again…" The redhead walked away casually, leaving a bewildered Kyousuke behind.

_I won't give up._ Kyousuke thought. _I'll get to know what really happened to Sayaka._

_He's really getting on my nerves, Sayaka._ Kyoko felt frustrated. _What did you even see in him, anyway?!_ The redhead walked on until she reached a familiar place—Homura's apartment. Looking up at the veranda, the red-haired girl jumped and climbed up. She rang the bell, remembering proper manners this time. Mami would always comment on her not knocking on someone's door or ringing the doorbell.

Homura's eyes widened and jolted out of her own reverie when she heard the doorbell. She stood up and walked towards the door to see who the visitor was. When she opened the door, the sight of a grinning red-haired girl welcomed her.

"Kyoko…" Homura's voice remained monotonous.

"Yo!" Came Kyoko's usual greeting. "I'm chargin' in."

It wasn't new to Homura for the redhead to barge in on anyone's home. Kyoko sat at the circular couch and made herself at home. The black-haired girl stared at the red-haired girl with no emotion…until Kyoko spoke. The spear wielder's tone was serious.

"Homura, 'have to talk to you 'bout something." The redhead began.

The black-haired girl sat down. "What is it?"

Kyoko remained silent for a few moments. Homura found this quite surprising…knowing the redhead's attitude.

"I saw this little boy at the park…" Kyoko finally broke the silence and recalled. "…and I heard him mention something familiar. Something that'll interest you—"

_"Madoka…"_

Homura's eyes widened.

"That must mean—_she's_ real…right?" Kyoko continued.

"What do you mean…?" Homura was unsure how to react…finally realizing that Kyoko was referring to _Tatsuya,_ _Madoka's_ (supposedly) younger brother. If she told her that, would Kyoko believe? Homura remained silent—the feeling of doubt and something else lingered in her heart.

"Homura…" Kyoko got a little irritated.

"Kyoko…" Homura finally spoke. "That little boy is _her_ brother."

"I see." Kyoko's tone of voice was a little doubtful.

"But I guess, that's a proof that yer not insane after all."

Homura kept quiet at that.

"Sorry." Kyoko's hand was at the back of her head. "Me and my big mouth…"

"Don't worry about it." Homura smiled faintly.

"Homura," Kyoko face became a little serious. "When you said that name back at the train station, did you see her come to take Sayaka away?"

The black-haired girl nodded.

"Any idea on where _she_…you know, takes them? I mean, the ones who faded away?"

Homura shook her head. "But what I believe is she takes them with her so they don't have to feel despair and turn into witches. That was what she wished for…and gave her entire existence for…"

"Sort of a redeemer for us Magical Girls it seems huh?" Kyoko smiled ironically, remembering that the church was also once a precious thing in her life.

Homura remained silent.

"I just had thoughts…of whether she is able to…y'know, bring people back." Kyoko's head was bowed. "But I guess it isn't possible…at least not yet."

The black-haired girl just stared at the redhead.

"Have you heard of this? _'I'll tear this temple down and build it in 3 days.'_ " Kyoko reminisced. "When I was a child, I thought whoever said that must have some heroic superpowers."

Homura recalled the phrase. She was, after all, a former student in a Catholic institution.

"But you know, I still believe that someday, we'd see them again…the people whom we cherish." Kyoko laughed. "Heck, _she_ just reminded me why I became like this in the first place. I was a believer of happy endings, when love and justice prevails…"

"Kyoko…"

"Heh, 'was just thinkin' out loud." Kyoko grabbed the box of Pocky from her green jacket's pocket and gestured to Homura. "Want some?"

The black-haired girl shook her head. Somehow when Kyoko gazed at Homura's eyes, she felt something was different.

"Is it just me?" Kyoko's brows furrowed. "I feel like you're acting…kinda strange."

"What?"

"You look…awfully happy." Kyoko's left eyebrow raised in suspicion. Homura could feel her cheeks warming and turned away, hoping that Kyoko didn't notice.

"Something's up between you and Mami, right?" Kyoko grinned, remembering that night at the street when she was saved by those two.

_"It looks like we're even."_ Homura said casually as she tapped a grief cube over Mami's soul gem. The blonde girl's cheeks blushed deeply, which Kyoko noticed.

_"Ooooh, what's this?"_

Homura turned away as she heard this. _"What's that supposed to mean?"_

_"Hoho, so even the stoic Akemi girl feels embarrassment, huh?"_ Kyoko said as her transformation dropped.

_"Shut up."_ Homura said without looking.

"I already thought something was up between the two of you." Kyoko said casually. "I've never seen Mami react that way before, too."

The red-haired girl turned to Homura, her facial expression was real serious.

"Mami… She…likes you."

"I am aware." Homura replied.

"Wait, you're what?!" Kyoko was taken aback by Homura's reply.

"Well…" Homura stared at the floor. "It was rather…unexpected…"

"Oh..." Kyoko was in awe. Homura recalled that afternoon, when the blonde girl finally told her what she had been feeling.

_"I'm in love with you, that's why!"_

Homura closed her eyes and felt a sudden ache in her heart. "It was stupid of me to reject her…"

"You did…?!" Kyoko frowned. "You rejected Mami?"

"…at first." Homura finished her sentence. "But I guess it's different now."

Kyoko stared at the black-haired girl in wonder.

"Yeah…I guess it didn't hurt giving her a chance after all." Homura smiled as she remembered Junko's friendly advice.

"Wow…so you two are an item now, huh?" Kyoko chuckled. "I must say, you guys do give me that aura."

"Huh?" Homura's eyes widened."

"The aura of being a couple." Kyoko smirked and munched on a stick of Pocky.

Somehow, Homura heard another familiar voice saying the same thing Kyoko had said.

_The aura of being a couple._ The image of a smiling Hitomi came into mind. Homura smiled and felt warmth in her chest.

_Maybe so._

* * *

><p><em>Cliffhanger! Nico and Kirika's confrontation will be in the next chapter! Hope you all stay tuned.<em>


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